The way firms hire from overseas is changing from January 2021. Organisations from many sectors likely to experience a talent shortfall when the transition period between the UK and the EU ends. 87% of UK employers are concerned about how Brexit is going to affect them and the measures to take. One of the utmost crucial steps is to become a sponsor employer if you hire or are planning to recruit overseas talent in the coming year.
Only 65 days remaining(as of 29th October 2020), when the immigration rules will not be the same as they are now. Potential employers need to adjust to new recruitment changes. But even after so many warnings from the Home Office, only 31,690 organisations have applied for sponsorship.
In the data below, you can see the industries and the number of companies having sponsor licences.
| Industry | No. of companies |
| Advertising | 378 |
| Administrative and support | 1606 |
| Agriculture | 53 |
| Architecture | 653 |
| Arts, Entertainment | 751 |
| Betting | 15 |
| Call Center | 11 |
| Care Home | 153 |
| Civil Engineering | 90 |
| Computer Programming | 2926 |
| Construction | 393 |
| Dental | 236 |
| Education | 997 |
| Electricity, Gas, Steam, Air | 54 |
| Finance, Insurance | 1133 |
| Food & Accommodation | 541 |
| Household | 11 |
| IT, Telecommunication | 483 |
| Legal | 329 |
| Management | 1837 |
| Manufacturing | 1742 |
| Medical | 82 |
| Mining and Quarrying | 116 |
| Others | 12421 |
| Public administration, Government | 19 |
| Publishing | 180 |
| Radio and Television | 36 |
| Real estate | 224 |
| Recruitment | 283 |
| Religious | 284 |
| Rental | 62 |
| Scientific Research | 372 |
| Security | 44 |
| Social Work | 617 |
| Software Publishing | 188 |
| Transportation & Storage | 284 |
| Vetenary | 56 |
| Video or Music Production | 264 |
| Water, Waste management | 27 |
| Wholesale & Retail | 1615 |
What advisories think of recruitment gaps post Brexit
The reports published by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) shows sectors such as healthcare, supply chains & logistics, and technology will face manpower pressures. Occupations such as engineers, programmers, web designers, medical practitioners, artists, dancers and nurses are currently under the shortage occupation list, and recruitment situations might worsen when the free movement ends.
What might be the impact of not having a sponsor licence post-Brexit
Do you hire/anticipate to hire skilled staff from overseas?
You might be seeing the application fees and the application process a considerable resource investment. But from January 2021, if you employ skilled foreign workers you have more freedom as RLMT (RESIDENT LABOUR MARKET TEST) is also getting abolished. Thus, being a sponsor employer is highly beneficial, and we can help in you being a sponsor employer.
