Migration Advisory Committee has listened to construction industry, says CITB

CITB welcomes the recommendations in today’s Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) report:  A Points-Based System and Salary Thresholds for Immigration.

Over the last three years CITB has annually researched, and presented to Government, the views of construction employers, recruiters and non-UK born workers on the possible impact of proposed visa restrictions following the UK’s departure from the EU.

CITB’s latest migration report, published in October, revealed that employers wanted greater simplicity and a breathing space on planned visa restrictions.

Commenting on today’s report, CITB Strategy and Policy Director Steve Radley, said: “It is good to see these recommendations, particularly the lower salary threshold for the general ‘high-skilled’ visa and the inclusion of more construction occupations that will benefit from this introduction.

“By expanding the Tier 2 visa route to include more skills, such as carpenters and plasterers, painters and decorators and supervisors, and by reducing the salary threshold from £30k to £25.6k, the MAC has listened to the views of employers and federations. The MAC’s recommendations will give the industry the breathing space to modernise and to grow more of its own workforce and to help deliver on the expanded public investment programme and ambitions for new homes that the Government will announce in March.

“We look forward to the Government’s response to these recommendations and to working with it on how its plans will operate and on how we can jointly address the industry’s skills challenges.

“Migrant workers have long played a key role in the UK’s construction sector. The MAC recommendations will help ensure that employers can continue to benefit from the vital skills provided by migrants.”