Skilled Worker Shortages
Following the lift of UK COVID restrictions, demand for skilled workers increased at the fastest rate in 23 years. However, the number of skilled staff available has rapidly declined. Particularly in the Tech Industry. This is why your company isn’t receiving enough applicants to job vacancies and why you are not alone. In fact, the BBC article states it is the most pressing issue in the job market to date.
To outline the severity of the shortage, here are some statistics:
- 46% of employers said that candidates for professional roles lacked the required skills
- 28% said that a low number of applicants generally made these types of roles hard to fill (Prospects)
- The majority of organisations in the UK (91%) struggled to find workers with the right skills over the past 12 months (Open University)
So as a tech start up, this must be highly relatable for your business. Let’s look into how we can fix it…
Sponsor Licence
The solution is straight forward. According to EU-Start Ups, 43% of employees in EU Tech are not citizens of the company’s headquarters location. With 40% of start-ups having at least one overseas founder. Signalling the importance of hiring skilled overseas workers, for both the employers and the industries development…
Julian David at TechUK states that “For the UK to remain world leading in fields such as AI and quantum the UK must remain open and attractive to international innovators, investors and the talent that supports that ambition”
Hiring overseas workers is already heavily relied on by some of the most successful industry leaders. Such as, Google, Amazon and Microsoft. With the likes of Tessian, Ava and Quantcast amongst the UK companies currently going through the hiring process.
After taking in the benefits of hiring overseas skilled workers, you may see this as the direction for your tech start-up. To become an overseas employer you will be required to obtain a sponsorship licence.
Business Immigration Lawyer, Sally McEwen states that 'In order to be granted a sponsor licence you must meet a number of requirements. Including, being able to demonstrate that you are a genuine business operating lawfully in the UK and that you are able to carry out your sponsor duties and evidence your compliance.'
Skilled Worker Visa
As a skilled worker looking for UK opportunities, the tech industry has a lot to offer. With Techno jobs suggesting that higher level roles such as senior developers, data scientists and IT business analysts being some of the most sought-after roles to fill right now. You may be exactly what these UK companies are looking for.
Advice from industry experts via Techno jobs, suggest that the ability to demonstrate leadership, confident speaking abilities and presenting skills can give the ideal candidate an edge over other applicants.
To apply for these roles from outside of the UK, you must look for valid organisations who hold a sponsorship licence. You can find a list of these organisations here.
Additionally, you will require a Skilled Worker Visa, formally known as the Tier 2 (General) Visa. Immigration Lawyer Sally McEwen, states that 'In order to qualify for a Skilled Worker Visa, you must have a job offer from an employer that holds a Sponsor Licence prior to the visa application.'The next steps in getting a Sponsor Licence or Skilled worker Visa:
Our Business Immigration team here at OTB, have a great track record of getting successful outcomes for Skilled Visa Applications and Sponsor Licences. With a highly experienced team specialising in this complex area of law, we also offer compliance audits to ensure your company is prepared and fully compliant with your UK Visas and Immigration duties.
Without the legal support we offer, you are at risk of an application refusal. OTB are confident in adding real value to your application to prevent any disrupt a refusal may cause your business. Such as lengthy time delays of up to 6 months.
Why not talk to us about you Visa/Licence application today?