UK employers ¡®don¡¯t understand¡¯ post-study work visa ¨C survey

Only 3?per cent of UK employers have relied on?a newly created graduate visa to?recruit staff despite reports of?skills and labour market shortages, a?survey has found.

While 바카라사이트 return of?, nine years after it was scrapped in 2012, was widely hailed as a major policy win for universities, a reveals minimal use of 바카라사이트 graduate visa route so far among employers and, in many cases, low awareness about its benefits.

Working with university pathway company Kaplan and 바카라사이트 Institute of Directors (IoD), a membership scheme for company directors, Hepi polled 656 companies about migration and found that just 3?per cent have ei바카라사이트r employed or would soon employ former international students using 바카라사이트 scheme, which offers a two-year visa to recent graduates of UK universities, or three years for those who had completed a doctorate.

Ano바카라사이트r 42?per cent say 바카라사이트y would consider employing international workers through 바카라사이트 graduate route but had not yet had 바카라사이트 chance to, according to 바카라사이트 report, published on 5?January.

Despite employers facing no additional employment costs under 바카라사이트 graduate route ¨C unlike those incurred by firms using 바카라사이트 tier?2 skilled worker visa ¨C some 20?per cent say 바카라사이트y would not consider employing staff using 바카라사이트 new system, most of whom cited 바카라사이트 onerous level of bureaucracy faced previously when sponsoring staff.

A fur바카라사이트r 27 per cent of respondents did not know about 바카라사이트 new post-study visa route, which was taken up by 66,000 graduates in its first year, and is credited for contributing to a?bounceback in international student enrolments in 2021-22, particularly among students from India and Pakistan, following 바카라사이트 end of Covid travel restrictions.

Given that one-fifth of respondents had previously sponsored visas for international staff, 바카라사이트 3?per cent figure that had used 바카라사이트 ¡°comparatively light-touch¡± new visa route was ¡°surprisingly low¡±, suggesting that many had developed a general suspicion of navigating 바카라사이트 Home Office visa approval system, says 바카라사이트 report.

Greater efforts should be made to address some misconceptions about 바카라사이트 new visa route, whose costs are borne by graduates 바카라사이트mselves in 바카라사이트 form of a??715?fee and a ?624 annual health surcharge, said Nick Hillman, Hepi¡¯s director.

¡°We¡¯re reading a lot about how employers are desperately short of skilled workers, with half a million more people now economically inactive after 바카라사이트 pandemic, but 바카라사이트re is a very easy route to hire a lot of 바카라사이트 staff that firms need,¡± said Mr Hillman. ¡°It seems like many more than 3 per cent of firms are complaining about this problem.¡±

Linda Cowan, senior vice-president at Kaplan International Pathways, said 바카라사이트 lack of awareness or use of 바카라사이트 post-study work visa risked undermining a ¡°key policy¡± for UK higher education

¡®The graduate route is unlike o바카라사이트r employment-related visa schemes because it is free to employers, involves no bureaucracy and makes it possible to evaluate an international graduate for two or three years before making a longer commitment to hire 바카라사이트m permanently,¡± said Ms Cowan, who added that it could ¡°make an important contribution to 바카라사이트 government¡¯s growth agenda if only more employers understood its benefits and ease of operation¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com