Since the announcement of Brexit uncertainty has reigned throughout the whole of Britain. An issue that still is up in the air, Brexit is certainly causes change on the job front and will continue to do so over the coming years.
Since Article 50 was triggered, the UK have moved one step closer to making the move reality and as a result, it is effecting business trade, skilled workers that come to the country as well as investment opportunities. So, what does this mean for the job front?
The Skills Shortage
The cybersecurity and data science industry are going to be highly impact when Britain leave the EU market as they are heavily reliant on professionals from outside of the UK. An area which is already deemed as facing a job shortage, fears are growing that this could only get worse.
Recently recruitment specialist’s jobsite spoke with several professionals to get their opinion on the current market. A cybersecurity CTO called James Chappell voiced his concerns about what is needed of the single market negotiations, ‘“It’s vital that the Prime Minister prioritizes access to skilled professionals in her negotiations with the EU and agrees a process that is frictionless as possible,” Chappell commented. Simon Conington, founder of BPS world, shared the same opinion, believing the Prime Minister needs to ensure that the UK still have the access to hire the person with the best skills for the job if the UK want to grow even further in the tech sector. Simon said, “The decisions the government makes now on the implementation of Brexit will affect our ability to attract the talent we need to grow. The impact will be felt immediately as talented workers will not come to the UK if they know they will have to leave within two years… We urge the government to continue to ensure we have access to skilled people, particularly in sectors where we’re already struggling to find the talent we need.”
As a whole, there are still many sectors where the UK have a shortage and rely on outside workers, especially in the engineering sector, which is why negotiations should still favour brining in foreign workers for these sectors, meaning jobs will still be available.
Home Grown Talent
As the migration policy is still unclear, it is believed that the UK needs to bolster its commitment to encouraging more students to study STEM subjects to guarantee that Britain has the home-grown talent it needs to be a world leader in the technology sector.
Jobsite spoke to David Downes a director of an IT consultancy. He believes heightened control of the border will have a positive impact for not only worker but UK companies as well. “With Brexit we will be able to control and decide who we allow to come into the UK depending on what area of expertise we need” he said.
“We have great brands in the UK and are leaders of technology, with huge advances being made across the IT and Engineering industries. It would be so rewarding to recruit within the UK and share the successes within these industries nationally.”
In contrast, a chief analyst at a foreign exchange company believes that keeping jobs local could negatively impact the economy. “Controlling immigration could really put pressure on certain Industries but this will potentially lead to higher wages which will push up prices. In conjunction with rising inflation owing to a weaker Pound, there could be a knock on negative effect in the UK economy as demand for new employment falls.”
Adapting to Changes
In a conversation with a CEO of an online resource who offer advice for freelancers and contractors, when speaking of Brexit, he believed that it will impact the types of contracts that companies in those sectors offers – with the belief that British companies are increasingly looking for contractors to give them work relief.
“The UK is good at rolling up its sleeves and getting on with things. Contingent workers are one of the best examples of this – contractors hit the ground running, identify the challenges and just get on with solving them and an increasing number of companies are recognizing and appreciating the ease with which they can hire contractors on this basis as needs demand,” he commented. “As we face uncertain times I would anticipate that companies will turn to flexible skilled resources for help more and more. For contractors with the key skills to offer, Brexit will present them with opportunities galore – not only should they be handsomely rewarded financially but their phones should be ringing non-stop too.”
What remains clear however is that even with the recent election and Article 50 trigger haven’t swayed people as much as what was first presumed. Jobs still are still being posted and when speaking to immigration solicitors in London, they reported back that there have been no signs of slowing down in enquiries, with more people getting in touch about EEA related visas for work.
As always, the uncertain immigration restrictions are going to put pressure on certain industries, which will certainly cause higher wages, pushing up higher prices and higher British citizenship appeals in order to obtain jobs easier. In conjunction with rising inflation owing to a weaker Pound, there could be a knock on negative effect in the UK economy if the demand for new employment does fall. If you’re still looking for clarity on your career at this point it remains uncertain due to the halt in EU market talks. What is clear those is that certain industries in the UK will still be in short supply. Therefore, if you’re looking to remain in the UK a switch to these industries could help your chances massively.