This event has been designed to gather views from industry on using migration as a solution to the skills gap, whilst the planned UK investment into skills progresses.  The panellists are interested in collecting industry views on what the policy should be. Options include (but are not limited to) using migration as a temporary solution or defining more of a longer term solution to encourage skilled migrants to settle and be long term net contributors (based on the Italy model). This promises to be a wide-ranging discussion, under the Chatham House rule.  

Indicative questions:    

• What do we need to do – as employer sectors and as Government – to reduce the reliance on immigration in relevant work sectors?

• What messages resonate with your workforce and local communities about balancing skills, fairness to resident workers, and controlled migration?

• What are the most cost effective employer actions you’ve tried—apprenticeships, returner programmes, mid career upskilling—that measurably reduced reliance on migration routes?

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