Bricklayers and carpenters from overseas will now be able to obtain work visas more easily following the government’s update to the shortage occupation list.
The list details areas and occupations that employers are struggling to fill and the change follows recommendations from the independent Migration Advisory Committee’s interim review of the construction sector. As a result, it will now include bricklayers and carpenters as well as roofers, tilers, slaters, joiners and plasterers.
The changes, outlined by Jeremy Hunt, are expected to be in place by the summer, and while they could be highly beneficial to the housebuilding industry, are not expected to make a major difference to overall migration figures.
The Construction and Hospitality Shortage Review, which was published last week on the same day as the Spring Budget, revealed that the number of vacancies in construction roles has risen dramatically compared to pre-pandemic levels. From November 2022 to January 2023, vacancies were 65% higher than from January to March 2020, which is 23% higher than the overall economy.
The Mitigation Advisory Committee said that it had considered the “strategic importance of construction for the UK economy” when making its recommendation, also noting that demand was “likely to increase markedly”.
Dan Grimshaw, founder of design and construction specialists, Beam Development, has welcomed the news of the changes to the list of trades with shortages and that rules governing migrant workers are to be loosened.
He said: “I’ve never agreed that some trades have more ‘value’ than others. It’s ridiculous that lower-skilled workers shouldn’t be allowed to come to the UK when more skilled workers can.”
“The shortage occupation list at least identifies what we need which is much fairer. All workers play an essential role. You can’t have a good team unless you have everything covered.”
“Many large construction projects have been shelved, delayed or re-phased after Liz Truss decided to torpedo the economy, so helping to help ease immediate labour supply pressures can only be good news.”
