A research has found that migrant workers have brought various benefits to their employers that have led to productivity boosts and company expansion. The report on the in-depth, qualitative study of the contribution and impact of migrant workers on 80 UK companies that carried out by the Department for Business has been published on Tuesday.
Benefits included:
* The ability to train colleagues in new skills such as IT techniques, leading to improvements in day to day working practices, and new innovations.
* Knowledge and skills over and above those outlined in job specifications, such as management experience, language and IT skills.
* Skills that are culturally unique and complementary, rather than directly applicable, to the job role.
* An increased talent pool of potential applicants available to businesses.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “Many British businesses rely on the skills of people from Europe and beyond to fill roles that are not being met by British workers.
“This research demonstrates that foreign workers not only stimulate growth for British business by introducing new ideas and innovations, but bring their unique overseas networks and cultural knowledge to drive expansion for their company abroad.
“This report will provide an important contribution to the debate around how foreign workers have a positive impact on UK businesses.”
Employers interviewed for the study valued the breadth of language skills migrants bring, and also the benefits of having a diverse workforce with a global outlook, which can identify opportunities and new commercial openings. Significant benefits arose where migrants assisted business’ expansion by sharing insights and connections to new international markets, suppliers and client relationships. Businesses were clear that without migrants they would face much greater difficulties breaking into new markets and that often migrants helped secure business abroad. The report is divided into sections covering skills, knowledge sharing, innovation, training, migrants’ connections and integration.
On the other hand the Home Secretary Theresa May is determined to make acquiring visas more difficult, and has suggested that overseas visitors seeking to work, study or attend business meetings in the UK would have to demonstrate the “British values”, under Conservative proposals to make this commitment an integral part of any visa application.
The plan which is supposedly aimed to fight extremism says, “We want to make clear to those seeking to visit, work or study in the UK, and those granted protection, that they need to abide by and respect British values throughout their stay in this country,” the document reads. “We will make British values an integral part of applying for a visa.”
However despite the aim, the plan will affect all immigrants traveling from similar parts of the world- which may discourage them to come to Britain altogether.
