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CIOB launches shortage occupation survey

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has launched a new survey to find out where the most pressing skills shortages in construction lie.

The survey comes ahead of a full review of the professions contained within the government’s Shortage Occupation List, which is compiled by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).

Certain roles such as construction and building trades supervisors
are consistently reported as a shortage occupation, along with bricklayers,
civil engineers and plant and machine operatives.

However, there was controversy last year when a number of construction roles deemed by the industry to be in short supply were not added to the Shortage Occupation List by the MAC. Meanwhile, the government’s immigration bill, which will introduce a points-based system and a salary threshold of £25,600 for immigrant workers wishing to enter the UK, was voted through the House of Commons last month. It will now go on to further parliamentary scrutiny.

Announcing the launch of the new survey, David Barnes,
policy and public affairs manager at the CIOB, said: “The UK government has
once again commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to carry out a
full review of the professions included in the Shortage Occupation List (SOL),
to understand what skills are in demand, particularly as the UK gears up for a
new points-based immigration system.

“The SOL consists of occupations that are experiencing a
shortage of skilled workers and where it’s sensible to try to fill those
shortages through migration. Those occupations that provide evidence they are
in high demand and need to be filled immediately are then authorised by the MAC
and added to the list to ensure the positions are filled either by UK or
overseas workers.

“The CIOB have therefore partnered with several trade and
professional bodies in the built environment, to provide evidence to the MAC on
the recruit needs of the industry.

“We urge members to contribute to this short survey to
ensure the industry maintains its ability to recruit skilled overseas workers
in the midst of a changing skills landscape.”

The survey closes on 19 June.