New migration committee must reflect labour market needs, Says REC

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation, (REC), has welcomed the Home Officeís confirmation that a new advisory body will be launched to help inform UK immigration policy.

Commenting on Immigration Minister Liam Byrneís announcement on the new Migration Advisory Committee, Tom Hadley, the RECís Director of External Relationss, says: ìStaff shortages in a number of key sectors has continued to increase which underlines the need to ensure that immigration policy reflects labour market trends rather than being solely driven by political rhetoric.

ìAs a result, the REC welcomes todayís announcement and urges the Home Office to empower this new body so that it has tangible input into the UKís managed migration policyî

The RECís monthly Report on Jobs, ñ published in conjunction with KPMG and NTC Research, shows that the demand for staff in a number of key sectors has continued to increase for just under three years. In addition, the latest annual recruitment industry survey conducted by the REC in conjunction with Ernst and Young confirmed that the shortage of candidates was one of the major concerns for UK recruitment professionals.

The REC is already represented on a number of Home Office working groups including the Illegal Working Stakeholder Group and the Employers Alliance.

Commenting on the contribution of the recruitment industry in this area, Hadley concludes: ìRecruitment professionals have a key role to play by highlighting where the demand from employers is not being met by available candidates and on the skills and attributes that companies in different sectors are looking for. It is essential that the new Committee draws upon the experiences of those who are in the front line of the UK labour market.