Utility Week

20 | 6TH - 12TH MARCH 2020 | UTILITY WEEK Operations & Assets Analysis T he new government's tough stance on immigration is bound to raise ques- tions across the utilities sector about a possible recruitment gap. But in the face of other industries looking to utilities to address their own shortages, should the greater con- cern be around retention of talent? A•er nearly four years of debate, divi- sion and diversion, the UK's future outside the European Union is beginning to take shape and at the end of February we saw the government outline its proposals for new immigration arrangements. While the full implications will not be clear for some time, one industry expert has highlighted concerns about the existing labour market and how an indirect consequence of the new rules could be talent poaching. According to the latest figures (2017) sub- mitted to the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) by the Energy and Utility Skills Group (EUS), an estimated 9 per cent of the sector's workforce is of a non-UK nationality, com- pared to 11 per cent across the UK. Under the new system, migrants will be awarded points based on their salary level, skills and their ability to speak English. A total of 70 points is required for applicants, although some characteristics are tradeable. For example, a candidate earning below the £25,600 minimum salary threshold may still be able to enter the UK if they have the rel- evant qualifications (a PhD in the case of a university researcher). "We will no longer have the routes for cheap, low-skilled labour that obviously has dominated immigration and our labour market for far too long in this country," said home secretary Priti Patel as she unveiled the new rules to take effect in January 2021. The move has prompted concerns from some within the sector, especially in infra- structure. Alasdair Reisner, chief executive of the Civil Engineering Contractors Associa- tion (CECA), said his sector already relies on a large number of migrants and as such end- ing free movement potentially creates labour market pressures for contractors. Stability of the market While there are perfectly legitimate ques- tions being asked about how recruitment will be affected and how the sector will cope following the end of free movement, some would argue that bigger questions remain over the stability of the underlying employ- ment market. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which cover the period October to December 2019, show a The competition for workers is about to get worse Adam John takes a closer look at how utilities and the contractor community anticipate the new post-Brexit immigration rules could affect the industry.

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