Skilled worker mobility

#34 —

Defence Committee

Recommendation: As was promised in the Defence AI Strategy, the Ministry of Defence should devise a strategy for supporting individuals with an AI specialism to develop a career in defence. The plan should create viable career paths for AI specialists within …

Report: Government response published

#21 —

Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee

Recommendation: The UK and the EU should consider the development of an ambitious, visa- based youth mobility scheme with a limited number of participants. This initiative would allow young people to spend up to 12 months in the UK or EU …

Report: No government response linked; deadline passed

#20 —

Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee

Recommendation: We recognise the importance of reintroducing mutual recognition of professional qualifications between the UK and the EU and reducing barriers to trade for touring artists. Given the economic and cultural significance of these sectors, continued engagement between UK and EU …

Report: No government response linked; deadline passed

#19 —

Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee

Recommendation: We recommend that the Government draws lessons from the slow pace of mutual professional qualification recognition negotiations to date, re- assesses which mutual recognition agreements would contribute most to our mutual economic gain, and publishes a new roadmap of negotiating …

Report: No government response linked; deadline passed

#16 —

International Agreements Committee

Recommendation: In any development of CPTPP , the Government should prioritise innovations in the area of climate and trade in environmental goods and services; in digital services and trade in digital technology; and in professional services. Progress in the area of …

Report: Government response published

#24 —

Science and Technology Committee (Commons)

Recommendation: In its response to this report, the government should set out a clear, cross-departmental strategy for ensuring a secure and sustainable domestic talent pipeline in the key scientific and technological capabilities it has identified as critical to the UK’s future …

Report: Government response published

#23 —

Science and Technology Committee (Commons)

Recommendation: While targeted measures to strengthen research security are important, they cannot be considered in isolation from the wider structural pressures facing UK universities. Financial constraints, reliance on international student income and weaknesses in the domestic talent pipeline in key subjects …

Report: Government response published

#3 —

Science and Technology Committee (Commons)

Recommendation: The UK’s Global Talent Fund is a welcome initiative but lacks ambition and scale. It fails to address the high upfront costs faced by researchers coming to the UK, which our witnesses consistently identified as a key deterrent for science …

Report: Government response published

#14 —

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Recommendation: The government should also work to combat perceived perceptions of the UK being a difficult location to hold business events, in order to enhance the UK’s competitiveness when bidding for events. We recommend that the government work to simplify visa …

Report: Government response published

#13 —

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Recommendation: We recommend that the government pursue a Mutual Recognition Agreement for business events with the EU to recognise UK qualifications in the EU. (Recommendation, Paragraph 32)

Report: Government response published

#12 —

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Recommendation: Post‑Brexit barriers, including visas, bureaucracy and loss of mutual recognition, have damaged the UK’s competitiveness and reinforced perceptions that it is a more difficult and costly destination for business events. (Conclusion, Paragraph 31)

Report: Government response published

#18 —

Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee

Recommendation: Commitments to continued dialogue without defined objectives and timelines are inadequate. We recommend that the Government clearly identifies the priority services sectors for improved business mobility and sets out, in precise terms, the specific outcomes it is seeking from the …

Report: No government response linked; deadline passed

#17 —

Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee

Recommendation: We welcome the commitments made in the Common Understanding to seek improved business mobility arrangements. However, we note that progress on this issue is unlikely until after the planned UK-EU dialogues in the second quarter of this year. This is …

Report: No government response linked; deadline passed

#16 —

Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee

Recommendation: We recommend that the Government uses the Reset to urgently prioritise improved mobility and visa arrangements for touring artists, moving beyond commitments to further dialogue, and delivers practical, measurable outcomes that support the UK’s creative industries. (Recommendation, Paragraph 42)

Report: No government response linked; deadline passed

#13 —

Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee

Recommendation: We therefore recommend the Government sets out the UK ambitions for the agreement on a Youth Experience Scheme. This should set out the overall numbers of participants allowed, the visa timeframes, visa requirements, and its position on access to home …

Report: No government response linked; deadline passed

#12 —

Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee

Recommendation: We note there are potential benefits for the UK from a Youth Experience Scheme with the EU, economically and culturally. We recognise however there is a mismatch between the UK and the EU ambitions. (Conclusion, Paragraph 35)

Report: No government response linked; deadline passed

#5 —

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The Home Office, in collaboration with Defra, should review the Skilled Worker Visa salary thresholds for veterinary roles by early 2027 to ensure they: • reflect realistic earlycareer salary progression in the sector; • do not create barriers to recruiting …

Report: Government response published

#14 —

Defence Committee

Recommendation: The Government must urgently remove barriers to workforce mobility across the AUKUS partners, beginning with security clearances. We recommend that the MOD, working with trilateral partners and in consultation with industry, set out within six months a clear plan to …

Report: Government response published

#13 —

Defence Committee

Recommendation: We are deeply concerned by the Government’s failure to recognise the impact of barriers to workforce movement across the trilateral. The ensuing inconvenience and cost may currently be manageable—although they are having a stifling effect on collaboration—but it is clear …

Report: Government response published

#19 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: However, the process has not been working as intended. The process can be expensive and lasts for only five years, with costs often passed onto leaseholders.57 The process has been slow; the demand for the work to inspect external walls …

Report: Government response published

#7 —

Scottish Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The Seasonal Workers Pilot Scheme is vital for the Scottish food sector, the pandemic highlighted that there is not the local take-up for these seasonal roles. We believe that not having enough people to harvest Scottish food puts an important …

Report: Government response published

#20 — Construction industry faces capacity challenges from ageing workforce and Brexit, impacting remediation acceleration.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We asked witnesses if the construction industry had the capacity to support the acceleration of remediation. The HBF told us acceleration was happening, but that it would be challenging. It outlined some of the challenges facing the sector, including an …

Report: Government response published

#23 — Slow transition of skilled home heating workforce to low carbon retrofit, compounded by ageing.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: The UK has a skilled home heating workforce but its transition to work on low carbon retrofit is not happening at the pace required to upgrade homes at scale. This is compounded by a twin underlying crisis: few new entrants …

Report: Government response published

#22 — Develop targeted support and upskilling for new Welsh farmers, protecting tenant farming

Welsh Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The UK Government should work in close partnership with the Welsh Government to develop more targeted support and technical upskilling programmes for young and new entrants into the Welsh farming sector. In doing so, it must actively promote and protect …

Report: Government response published

#21 — UK Government fails to recognise tenant farming's vital role for new Welsh entrants

Welsh Affairs Committee

Recommendation: We support a long-term vision for farming in which generational transition within the sector is more actively supported. This includes creating clear and viable pathways for new entrants into farming, while ensuring that older farmers feel confident and assured to …

Report: Government response published

#26 — Link investment in training to nationally recognised accreditation for retrofit and clean energy workers

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: We emphasise that workforce expansion in retrofit and clean heat must go hand-in-hand with high and verifiable standards of competence. Written evidence criticised aspects of the existing skills and competence system in retrofit and related sectors, calling for tighter and …

Report: Government response published

#18 — Establish a nationally recognised, industry-backed construction and retrofit skills programme with partners.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: Given the scale of workforce demand in construction and retrofit, including the need for an estimated additional 250,000 workers to meet new housing targets and millions more for retrofit we recommend that Government work with CITB, Skills England, and industry …

Report: Government response published

#14 — Empower devolved governments and resource coordination for consistent training and skill portability.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: We welcome the Government’s attention to leveraging the significant potential of various levels of devolved government across different parts of the UK. They should be empowered to lead on approaches tailored to local or regional strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, the …

Report: Government response published

#12 — Devolved governments are crucial for national workforce planning, ensuring consistent quality and skill portability.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: National workforce planning will need to be delivered beyond Whitehall and devolved levels of government have a crucial role to play. National plans need to recognise that delivery of the workforce may diverge according to local circumstance and need while …

Report: Government response published

#6 — Set out options by 2026 for leveraging skilled immigration to boost home-grown talent.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: The Government should, by the end of 2026, set out a range of further options for conditionality to leverage the short-term need for skilled immigration to boost the longer-term need for home-grown talent. An analysis of their potential impacts should …

Report: Government response published

#4 — Expand Skills Passports and establish commitments for energy sector workforce transition and support targets.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: The Government must continue to tackle barriers preventing existing energy sector workers transitioning successfully. Skills Passports and associated funding should be expanded. The Government in its response to us should propose how the transferability of skills across traditional boundaries and …

Report: Government response published

#3 — Explore Danish measures for skills shortages and initiate work on home-grown talent for clean energy.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: There may be a need for the import of some specific skills from overseas, at least in the short term, to deliver on targets for clean energy and the decarbonisation of buildings. We heard of significant efforts by the Danish …

Report: Government response published

#1 — Skilled labour supply insufficient to meet demand for clean energy and decarbonised buildings.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: The supply of skilled labour does not currently match the levels of demand expected to be required if the UK is to fulfil Government’s ambitions to deliver clean energy by 2030 and decarbonised buildings by 2050. (Conclusion, Paragraph 29)

Report: Government response published

#12 — Consult the transport manufacturing sector on a ‘competency passport’ approach for worker transferability.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: Skilled workers face significant barriers when trying to move across and within areas of transport manufacturing. This is especially frustrating when employers report persistent skills shortages. Skills England should by the end of 2026 consult the transport manufacturing sector on …

Report: Government response published

#41 —

Defence Committee

Recommendation: The Government should work with the US and Australian Governments to integrate research and development in AI between the UK and its AUKUS allies. This could include establishing multinational research centres and fora to normalise collaboration between the countries’ AI …

Report: Government response published

#31 —

Defence Committee

Recommendation: Recruiting and retaining the brightest minds in AI to work on defence problems is a challenge. Recruitment difficulties exist across STEM disciplines, but the market for AI skills differs in such a way that meeting the challenge requires a targeted …

Report: Government response published

#50 —

International Agreements Committee

Recommendation: We note that the Agreement enables the recognition of professional qualifications beyond 2024, providing certainty to businesses and professionals, and that advances that have been made for professionals on the existing Citizens’ Rights Agreement, for example the extension of its …

Report: Government response published

#12 —

Communications and Digital Committee

Recommendation: The Government’s industrial strategy must provide a coherent, cross-government vision for the role of innovative technology scaleups in delivering the Government’s growth ambitions across its eight key sectors. It should serve as an opportunity to critically review the existing landscape …

Report: Government response published

#11 —

Communications and Digital Committee

Recommendation: Some of these barriers do not have straightforward policy solutions, for example the relative size of the UK market, or cultural attitudes towards entrepreneurship. It is positive that solutions initiated by the previous Government to address challenges are being built …

Report: Government response published

#10 —

Communications and Digital Committee

Recommendation: We have the right ingredients to build world-leading tech companies, including in the high-growth potential areas of AI and creative technology. However, fundamental barriers to scaling in the UK’s technology sector, such as poor infrastructure, a culture of risk aversion, …

Report: Government response published

#1 —

Communications and Digital Committee

Recommendation: While the UK’s vibrant startup environment is lauded, the country has a technology scaleup problem. We risk becoming an ‘incubator economy’ for other nations, which has serious implications for our economic growth and global competitiveness.

Report: Government response published

#19 —

Scottish Affairs Committee

Recommendation: We recognise calls for the importance of defence and manufacturing sector needs to be reflected in immigration policies. The UK Government should regularly review defence roles included in the temporary shortage list to ensure defence skills gaps in Scotland can …

Report: Government response awaited

#18 —

Scottish Affairs Committee

Recommendation: It is clear there will continue to be a role for international workers in Scotland’s defence sector for the foreseeable future, particularly given that demand for products from the defence sector has historically fluctuated. Current skills shortages have exacerbated this …

Report: Government response awaited

#6 —

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Recommendation: In its response to this report, the government should update us on its unilateral activities to support UK artists working and touring in the EU. We recommend the government looks at all available options to help touring artists manage the …

Report: Government response published

#4 —

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The veterinary profession remains reliant on international recruitment to fill critical roles, particularly in public health and official veterinary services. While international vets have made a vital contribution, this “learned dependency” has masked underlying weaknesses in domestic workforce planning and …

Report: Government response published

#2 —

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: While recruitment has stabilised and the arrival of new entrants through the pipeline has increased, significant and persistent gaps remain in public sector roles, geographically isolated practices and other “deficit areas”. High attrition rates and a “constant churn” in some …

Report: Government response published

#1 —

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Workforce pressures in the veterinary profession are no longer driven primarily by an overall shortage of qualified individuals, but by challenges in retention, distribution and alignment with specific roles. At our evidence session at Harper Adams University, all four senior …

Report: Government response published

#49 —

Education Committee

Recommendation: We join with the higher education sector in welcoming that the UK will be associating with the Erasmus+ programme from 2027. (Conclusion, Paragraph 249)

Report: Government response published

#34 —

Education Committee

Recommendation: The Union Learning Fund is a crucial programme for delivering workplace training. It has a strong track record of proven effectiveness and should be treated in line with other training providers in both the public and private spheres. It has …

Report: Government response published

#31 —

Education Committee

Recommendation: The Department must make the case for a three-year funding settlement for community learning at the next spending review. The Department should review and consolidate the many community learning funding streams to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy for providers.

Report: Government response published