TRAINING & RECRUITMENT | UK
Improving access to international grads
As skills shortages reach crisis levels in the UK, the recently launched post-study work visa makes it easier for nuclear employers to recruit international graduates, immigration lawyer Anne Morris explains
SKILLS SHORTAGES HAVE BEEN HIGH on the nuclear industry agenda for many years and competition for highly skilled workers from across the UK and the globe is tougher than ever. The ageing workforce is not being replaced fast enough, recruitment issues such as workforce diversity persist and the industry is battling concerns about its environmental credentials and the career prospects it offers. The result is a critically low supply of workers in all the industry’s skills, from design, to decommissioning. Since the UK Government published its ‘Sustaining our nuclear skills report’ in 2015, the sector has used new strategies to address the shortages, such as training and reskilling.
New nuclear construction and other and infrastructure
projects mean demand for skills in the industry has never been higher. This is placing mounting pressure on employers to ensure there is a sufficient talent pipeline. The UK’s new Graduate Route, opened in July 2021,
follows a change in the Immigration Rules and offers an easier and cheaper way for employers to hire international graduates without the cost or hassle of visa sponsorship.
Anne Morris
Immigration solicitor and MD at DavidsonMorris
Bolstering the recruitment effort The UK previously offered a post-study work visa, which had become a common feature of graduate recruitment programmes. This route was closed in 2012, and the immigration rules, restrictions and paperwork made it hard to recruit international graduates. Employers had to invest in a sponsorship licence and support the graduate in making a work visa application to the Home Office before they could start employment. The visa carried strict eligibility conditions — among other requirements, the role had to be skilled enough, and it had to pay enough — with no guarantee for the employer of securing the visa or the employee after the investment had been made. The cost and time required to hire international
graduates became prohibitive. The new Graduate Route bypasses the sponsorship
restrictions and makes recruitment more straightforward for employers in the nuclear sector. It allows student visa holders to remain in the UK after
they graduate for up to two years (three years if they have a PhD) without restrictions on the type of work and without requiring sponsorship by the employer. The route is open to all types and sizes of employers. This
is likely to level the recruitment playing field for smaller employers, who may have been deterred by the cost and administrative burdens of sponsoring graduates.
26 | January 2022 |
www.neimagazine.com
A valuable pool of talent Graduate recruitment is vital for employers to recruit and train directly from education. The UK is recognised globally for its educational pedigree and university offerings for nuclear-related qualifications. The new route means employers can more easily access this pool of UK-educated talent. We expect to see UK universities capitalise on this,
attracting more international students since it has become easier to remain in the UK to work after graduation. This in turn will increase the size of the graduate pool. While EU graduates would not have previously needed
a visa to remain in the UK, after Brexit immigration rules mean they now need a visa if they do not hold EU settled status. The graduate route allows for access to this cohort. However, the graduate route only offers a short-term solution. Beyond the two (or three) year visa period the employer must sponsor the worker under the Skilled Worker visa. This allows employment for a further five years, and a path to UK settlement. The worker would need to apply to switch their status
from the Graduate to the Skilled Worker route before their visa expires. The employer will need to have a sponsorship licence in place and to support the employee through the Home Office application process. However, as the employee will be an existing rather than prospective employee, and with many nuclear roles on the UK’s shortage occupation list, the risks associated with the Skilled Worker visa application are greatly reduced for both parties. Employers should now consider how the graduate
option can bolster their recruitment programmes, by developing competitive graduate propositions, working with UK universities to promote the route and the career opportunities it opens up, and ensuring the transition to a longer-term Skilled Worker visa is managed in line with the Immigration Rules. ■
While EU graduates would not have previously needed a visa to remain in the UK, after Brexit immigration rules mean they now need a visa if they do not hold EU settled status. The graduate route allows for access to this cohort
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