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Immigration: Migrant workers should 'help fill key shortage roles'

Visual effects and computer animation experts are among the 33 job titles that should be opened up to migrant workers looking to come to the UK to fill skills gaps, because the UK suffers from shortages in these areas, the Government's official advisers have recommended.

immigration migrant workers: Computer animation experts - to work on hit films such as Monsters Inc - are in short supply in the UK, according to official advisers.
Computer animation experts - to work on hit films such as Monsters Inc - are in short supply in the UK, according to official advisers. Credit: Photo: Disney/Pixar

However, vets, biology teachers and orchestral musicians are among 29 job titles which should be taken off the shortage occupation list – closing 70,000 jobs to migrant workers in further crackdown on non-EU immigration – according to the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).

In the MAC's latest proposals on non-EU migrant workers coming to Britain, published today, ministers have been urged to cut the number of jobs covered by the shortage occupation list further from 260,000 to 190,000.

Under the committee's recommendations, biology teachers, vets and orchestral musicians would be removed from the list because the UK can no longer justify searching outside of the EU to fill such roles.

However, a number of new job titles would be added to the list to help UK employers plug skills gaps, including visual effects and 2D/3D computer animation artists for films, television and games – thought to be in high demand in the UK.

The committee chairman, David Metcalf, said: "We think it is vital that the Government, employers and the training sector take concerted action to raise the skill levels of the UK workforce, especially in long-standing shortage occupation areas.

"This will reduce the UK's reliance on migrant workers in the long term and provide real benefits for the economy as a whole."

However, Mr Metcalf admitted the proposed changes would have only a "limited impact" as a maximum of just 20,700 workers can be admitted each year through the so-called Tier 2 of the Government's points-based immigration system.