Against the backdrop of the looming digital skills emergency in the UK, the Science and Technology Committee (STC), a government committee, has reportedly urged the British administration to make the Tier 2 Visa checks not-too-hard for the IT firms with 20 or fewer workers.

As per the STC, it is crucial that the rules of UK immigration are duly amended with a view to assist address the nation’s digital skills catastrophe.

According to a report brought out by the STC, it requires to be made rather easier for the small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to enlist manpower from outside of the territorial limits of European Union (EU). The STC added that every year the nation’s digital skills chasm costs Britain 63 billion pounds in the lost GDP.

A major proposal--delineated in the report--urges for an evaluation of the requirements that immigrants must fulfill with a view to do an IT job on the Tier 2 Visas. As per the report, it would facilitate more SMEs to hire labor force from outside of the EU, without problems.

Critical Observations

As per a critic, the UK has come to a decision to go away from the EU. The development could make the skills shortage circumstances even worse in the coming months/years. Recruiters/firms will not any longer have easy access to fresh EU citizen employees from outside the nation.

In the longer term, thanks to "Brexit", the Tier 2 immigration rule could be amended and make things fairly easier, and more overseas movement to the UK could be permitted from outside the EU.

UK Immigration Tier 2 Visa Improvements

The STC has reportedly recognized the latest improvements made by London to aid more SMEs with hiring skilled manpower from outside the EU. But, regrettably, the latest laws do not cover the ventures with 20 or fewer workers.

Allegedly, though the UK is in the front in Europe on tech, it is crucial that determined action is taken to keep away from lagging behind. Despite the fact that the administration must be praised for the action taken until now, it requires to go much further and quicker. There is a pressing requirement of action on the Tier 2 Visas, vocational training, and placing digital skills right in the center of modern apprenticeships.

UK Tier 2 Visa Shortage Occupation List Useful For Just Some Recruiters

Reportedly, the UK Immigration has added professions comprising cyber security specialists, IT product managers, data scientists, and systems engineers to the Tier 2 visa Shortage Occupation List. Still, since numerous SMEs make use of fewer than 20 workers they fail to fulfill the requirements to come under the easier conditions under the Tier 2 Visa Plan for the professions on the Tier 2 Visa shortage list of professions.

Other SMEs--which also fail to fulfill the conditions under the easier Tier 2 Visa path--happen to be smaller firms that are over 25% held by a bigger corporation, plus those who have obtained considerable investment from a firm which is FTSE 100 listed.

Aside from recommending the amendments to the Tier 2 Visa immigration rule, the STC report has also reportedly urged that educational associated matters be duly addressed, and has advocated that fresh training plans be suitably executed. The committee is reportedly keen that digital skills become a central component across every apprenticeship and not only digital apprenticeships.

As per a concerned person, Britain is recognized to be right on the top in the world in terms of the national computing curriculum and IT education in schools, by and large. Still, graduates aren't landing in the market 'business-ready' even while there is an urgent need of speedy training to make them helpful and valuable to the business.

Even as the committee is already urging for improvements, it's crucial for the recruiters/firms to work rather closely with the education segment, to aid spot what particular skills are required, and where the talent chasms lie, to assist standardize education to the specific requirements of the industry, he reportedly added.

 

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