Recruiters such as Robert Half, believe that the over one million European Union (EU) nationals that have been given permission to stay in the UK following Brexit, should help to plug the skill gaps and talent shortages in the UK as the “war for talent” has intensified over the past year.
The Home Office rolled out this scheme in April 2019 and said that the highest amount of applicants were from Poles, followed by Romanians, Italians and the Portuguese.
It has not released the exact amount of EU nationals who have been given status. Still, Madeleine Sumption, director of The Migration Observatory, a University of Oxford project which provides analysis of immigration and migration issues affecting the UK estimates that roughly 30 per cent of EU citizens living in the UK have now applied to the scheme.
Matt Weston, managing director, Robert Half UK said:
News that over one million EU nationals have been given permission to remain in the UK after Brexit, gaining settled or pre-settled status offers businesses expanded talent pools for plugging skills gaps and talent shortages in their workforce.
Research from Robert Half UK has showed that talent management concerns are on the rise. With the ongoing “war for talent” intensifying over the last year, businesses must remain vigilant when it comes to the growing technical skills gaps in their workforce.
Focusing on retention and effective skills training remains vital for businesses looking to upskill their current workforce and meet the demands of the future workplace head-on.
Karendeep Kaur, senior immigration consultant for Migrate UK, a firm which specialises in corporate and individual immigration believes the scheme’s success is in part due to its “simple, straightforward” nature.
Ms Kaur also said that HR has “no excuse” for not helping the employees at their companies as the Government has provided the necessary information for employers.
Irregardless of the UK leaving the EU with or without a deal, EU citizens have until the 31st December 2020 to apply.
Robert Half is a specialised recruitment consultancy and member of the S&P 500.
Darius is the editor of HRreview. He has previously worked as a finance reporter for the Daily Express. He studied his journalism masters at Press Association Training and graduated from the University of York with a degree in History.