UK firms demand visa rethink to tackle skills shortage

The UK’s current skills landscape is not fit for purpose in the modern world, with ongoing skills shortages putting future economic growth at risk.

That is the damning conclusion of the Recruitment Trends Snapshot report from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) with annual comparisons showing resources continuing to be squeezed.

The data, provided by staffing software specialist Bullhorn, reveals a slight month-on-month dip in the number of new vacancies for both permanent and contract roles, which were down 11% and 12% respectively in February.

But despite this slowdown, the annual picture continues to show the pressure on the country’s resources, with permanent job numbers increasing 22% between February 2021 and February 2022. Contract vacancies were also up 26% during this period.

According to APSCo’s statistics, permanent placements rose 13% last month following January’s 104% spike in vacancies, which is indicative of the continued pressure on the staffing sector.

Year-on-year comparisons also continue to show significant growth, with permanent placements up 62% between February 2021 and February 2022, while contract placements also rose year on year, up by 15%.

In its Access to Skills & Talent Public Policy Plan, the trade association for the professional recruitment sector calls on the Government to rethink training initiatives and visa routes for highly skilled international talent to support a dynamic, global and flexible labour market.

APSCo chief executive Ann Swain commented: “While we are now beginning to see the inevitable slowdown of the intense activity of the last few months, we are still in a situation where demand for skills is far exceeding supply in professional sectors.

“The professional recruitment sector has a vital part to play in unearthing the hard-to-find talent needed by organisations across the UK and indeed internationally.

“We continue to meet with the Government to demonstrate the value of a globally focused recruitment sector, a globally mobile talent pool of independent contractors and the benefits of introducing a work visa for self-employed highly skilled contractors and we are lobbying hard for the expansion of the scope of highly skilled independent visa routes.”