The utilities industry in the UK is struggling with a skills shortage at a time when the industry is on the up. Even with the Government’s STEM initiative in schools, not enough students will be through the education system in time to meet the current shortfall. In addition to growing workforce issues, such as pending loss of significant talent, rapidly ageing infrastructure and trends in energy technologies, utilities companies also face changes in consumer behaviour, regulations and delivery models that dramatically affect how they are structured.
All of these issues – and the emergence of new competitors – demand a dramatic rethinking of your utility workforce and of where you go to find the talent and skills you need.
Since the talent pool in the UK is drying up, how will your organisation adapt and where will you look?
While some studies recommend looking at graduates with degrees lower than 2:2s or running more comprehensive apprenticeship programmes, the talent pool can be expanded most easily by looking abroad. Particularly for time-critical vacancies where there may not be time to up-skill less experienced staff, bringing in skilled workers from countries with less acute skills shortages gives you the staff you need, when you need them.
HR Managers however often see corporate immigration as a time consuming process, with many pitfalls and difficulties. An immigration specialist such as Permits2Work can help expedite the process and reduce the stress and effort of bringing someone into the UK.
Handling corporate immigration in-house can lead to a host of problems, and getting it wrong can incur significant costs and cause delays, upsetting timescales. Applications themselves can be costly so getting it right from the start is essential to avoid having to spend more on additional applications.
A recent white paper written for HR Managers in the utilities sector by leading immigration specialists, Permits2Work, explains the different routes into the UK for skilled workers and discusses hiring strategy for HR Managers in the utilities industry.
For more information on how an immigration specialist can streamline the process and help you get the staff you need, contact Permits2Work on 01793 836010. Their white paper is available for free here.