Two of the most lucrative employment areas for migrants are in Manufacturing and Engineering. The shortages in these two areas are increasing due to the retirement of older workers and lack of available replacements. The average worker is middle aged or older thanks to the Baby Boom after WWII, and these experienced members of the workforce are beginning to retire.
It is taking longer and getting harder for employers to fill the vacancies they are leaving. When jobs go unfilled with workers who have optimum skills, many positions must hire workers who are not as experienced or knowledgeable. Due to their lack of abilities, larger numbers of these lesser-skilled workers must be hired to attain the same level and quality of productivity. This places a strain on the budget of the employer. Fewer and fewer in the top levels are prepared to make consistently competent decisions. Morale in the workplace suffers, and as a result, productivity suffers despite the inflated number of employees. Wages suffer as well.
Some of the shortages are caused by lack of proper education levels of the young people in the UK moving into the work world. They lack the specific kinds of education that are needed for these fields, and often lack the interest in acquiring them.
Migrants who have been educated in special skills within the areas of Manufacturing and Engineering will find that they are needed very badly to fill the needs of UK employers. Entering the UK under the HSMP, or Tier 1 of the new immigration system, foreigners who possess the proper education and expertise are finding employment easy to obtain. They bring with them enough experience and knowledge to make progressive business decisions, and are more than capable of replacing the exiting workers without bloating the workforce with lesser skilled employees. Production increases, wages become more competitive, and morale increases when qualified migrants find their place in the economic future of the UK.
