South West

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Migrant Workers Challenges for the South
West Jo Pye Senior Researcher Skills and Learning
Intelligence Module (SLIM)Marchmont
Observatory University of Exeter School of
Education and Lifelong Learning J.Pye_at_ex.ac.uk
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  What is the potential economic contribution of
hidden migrants? There are from 310,000 to
570,000 illegal immigrants in the UK,
according to Home Office estimates If allowed
to live legally, they would pay more than 1bn in
tax each year Deporting them would cost 4.7bn
and leave acute shortages of cleaners, care
workers and hotel staff If allowed to stay, the
net benefit of nearly 6bn would pay for 300 new
schools, 12 district hospitals or 200,000 new
nurses Nearly 50 of foreign-born immigrants
leave Britain within 5 years Migrants fill 90
of low-paid jobs in London and account for 29 of
the capitals workforce Legal migrants comprise
8.7 of the population, but contribute 10.2 of
all taxes There were 25,715 people claiming
asylum last year. If allowed to work, they would
generate 123m for the Treasury (Source IPPR)
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•  
• What is the impact of migrant
• workers in other UK regions?
• In the East of England
• Most migrant workers are working below their
  skill levels even where there are major skill
  shortages
• Migrant workers with professional
  qualifications, particularly in medicine, have
  difficulty in obtaining employment at their skill
  level
• Many migrant workers have gone through agencies
  and had to pay large fees in return for access to
  employment
• Word of mouth and family connections are more
  likely routes into employment, particularly after
  initial employment
• For many migrant workers pay at, or in some
  cases below, the National Minimum Wage, is
  commonplace and
• Migrants are often working long hours and
  although most do not believe that they are facing
  conditions that differ greatly from those of the
  host community, they are often in employment
  where they are the majority of the workforce.

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•  
• What do we know of employers use
• of migrant workers?
• (Source IES for Home Office Online)
• A selection of surveyed employers reported
• Their businesses would not survive without
  migrant workers
• Language support in the workplace was achieved
  by buddying
• as well as English classes - but the need
  varied between jobs
• Dissatisfaction with existing worker entry
  registration schemes
• Illegal working was more common with
  low-skilled jobs
• Aspects of the proposed new system were
  considered difficult,
• complex and potentially restrictive for the
  less skilled workforce
• Industry sectors differed in recruitment within
  and outside the EU
• Time-limited worker schemes gave few
  opportunities for promotion
• Legal migrants could mean lengthy
  administrative procedures
• Difficulties in understanding overseas
  qualifications of migrants

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• What are SW employers saying
• about migrants work and
• learning?
• Research for the Regional Skills Partnership
  reports
• Provision and funding are too complex
• Many providers cannot be flexible enough for
  unions and employers, and give up when retention
  is poor
• Informal systems are emerging which make more
  use of volunteers and migrant workers as
  interpreters and tutors
• Local workers are unfavourably compared to
  migrants, some of whom are now employers
  themselves
• Employers are developing strategies to cope
  with migrant churn which is as yet
  unrecognised by statutory agencies
• Employment agencies and JC could be better
  used to promote, signpost and offer language
  learning opportunities
• Relationship building between employers and
  ESOL providers is leading to good and continuing
  practice

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• Learning and skills planning for A8
• migrants recommendations from
• LSDA/LSC report
• Improve access to flexible and sector-specific
  ESOL provision, including planned progression on
  to FE/HE
• Better collaboration with employers and
  agencies, including extra support with
  transport/outreach for rural migrant learners
• More efforts to fit provision to needs and
  existing qualifications of individual learners,
  including multiple pathways
• Timely, appropriate and available IAG services
  which draw on expertise of voluntary and
  community agencies, for LMI as well as learning
• Better transfer of attainments in
  reading/speaking/writing between providers
• Urgent action to address funding shortfalls
  needed
• Enhanced dissemination of good practice to
  extend employer involvement, tailor provision and
  support and widen multi-agency collaboration and
  partnership (eg one-stop booklets)

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• NIACE Committee of Inquiry into ESOL
• Selected recommendations from
• More than a Language
• There should be a cross-departmental review of
  the current provision of, and future need for,
  ESOL
• The LSC should take the lead in setting up
  regional planning fora to coordinate ESOL
  policies
• A ministerial lead on ESOL should be
  identified
• DfES should review the Skills for Life
  strategy to ensure that ESOL is given appropriate
  priority
• DfES should convene a national advisory group
  or forum on ESOL to act as a source of expertise
  and advice
• Work-related language training for migrants
  should be addressed in Regional Economic
  Strategies and the work of Regional Strategic
  Partnerships.

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Table 1 Changes in Migration by Country of
Origin, United Kingdom (Source Jobcentre Plus
presentation to Learning Theme, NINo
registrations data as at 25th June 2005).
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Table 3 Applications to join Worker Registration
Scheme, May 2004-June 2006 (Source BBC)
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Table 2 Changes in Migration by Country of
Origin, South West England (Source NINo
registrations data 2005-2006)
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• Migrant Workers in the South West
• Key findings for employers and
• employment agencies
• All those involved in employing migrant
  workers need more clarity and better access to
  information on their respective rights and
  responsibilities at every stage in migrants
  employment.
• A regional support network of and for
  workers employers should be proactively
  encouraged, to overcome perceived stigma by some
  employers regarding migrants.
• Positive action should be taken by employers
  at an earlier stage in migrant workers
  employment.
• Low English language skills in the workplace
  need urgent development as a business imperative.

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• Migrant Workers in the South West
• Key findings for agencies and
• services providers
• The Regional Employment Strategy should
  recognise migrants contribution to the SW
  economy and empower partners in sharing partner
  data, awareness raising, exchange of good
  practice and joint working.
• More research is needed into the differing
  needs of migrants in urban and rural environments
  and how they affect services available.
• Broader, community based promotion and
  provision of English language courses for
  migrants and their families would be beneficial.
• Closer collaboration between employers and
  migrant workers recruitment agencies would
  disseminate effective working models and improve
  labour market skills forecasting at sub regional
  level.

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• Migrant Workers in the South West
• Key findings for training providers
• (including English language training)
• The English for Speakers of Other Languages
  (ESOL) Level 2 qualification offered as language
  training under Skills for Life needs to be better
  tuned to the needs of migrant workers and their
  employers.
• Investigations needed of the potential to
  unlock ESF funding for ESOL, in line with
  European structural changes contributing to a
  mobile worker population.
• More opportunities for progression,
  responsiveness to differing skills levels and
  occupational content should be built into English
  language training for migrant workers.
• More support is needed for ESOL tutor
  training, both for tutor trainers and ESOL
  tutors, and especially for possible tutors
  amongst the migrant workforce.

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• Migrant Workers in the South West
• Key findings for policymakers
• Dramatic growth in migrant workers has been
  confirmed by data sources in every sub region of
  the South West.
• More account should be taken of the temporary
  nature of the majority of migrants stays in the
  UK, both in assessing circumstances and tailoring
  of legislation.
• Evidence from migrant workers employment
  patterns should contribute to knowledge about the
  local economy, labour market information,
  industry sectors, skills gaps and training.
• Closer links should be made with employment
  bodies, legislation and practice in countries of
  origin, to harmonise regulations and head off
  potential abuses.

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Migrant Workers in the South West Case studies
of good practice were collected from the
following Amber Initiatives, Plymouth
Bournemouth Poole College, Dorset Citizens
Advice Bureaux SW Region Hygia Training,
Bristol and Bath Hygrade Foods, Wiltshire
Link Into Learning, Cornwall Open Doors
Language School, Plymouth Pork Farm Bowyers,
Wiltshire Progress GB, Plymouth Truro College
Open Learning Centre, Cornwall
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• Migrant Workers in the South West
• Good practice from case studies
• Holistic approach and responsiveness to clients
• Partnership working with the migrant community
• Translators and support in developing language
  skills
• Encouraging social interaction and
  collaborative training with different groups
• Providing guidance and promoting
  multiculturalism
• Anticipating demand and targeting finite
  resources accordingly
• Flexible course design for patterns of
  changing demand
• Use of ICT in initial assessments to
  accommodate basic and more advanced language
  competencies

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• Migrant Workers in the South West
• Lessons from case studies
• Up to date information and legislation on
  immigration and residence required, both in the
  UK and the home country
• The need for accurate English language skills
  assessment
• Better preparation of overseas workers before
  entering the UK
• Increased language provision with targeted
  funding outside S4L
• Adapting to ongoing differences in migrant
  workers cultures
• Not making assumptions about language
  comprehension
• Providing appropriate progression routes for
  mixed abilities
• The amount of support by employers affects
  migrant worker retention

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LINC Cornish employers survey What is your main
reason for employing migrant workers? What are
the main benefits? Migrant workers are hard
working and have no preconceived ideas of what
they want to do. Happy to do anything and are
extremely flexible as a result. Keen to
work, polite and turn up for work on time.
They take jobs which are difficult to fill.
Loyalty. work consistently. time keeping, etc,
etc. The work gets down at a good standard.
They just get on with job. Never complain and
are honest workers. Conscientious, hard
working, amiable, good team workers, modesty. All
attributes that can be found in any good
employee.
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LINC Cornish employers survey Conclusions
Over half of migrant workers were employed on a
permanent basis, with a quarter in seasonal
work The majority of local and migrant workers
were paid the same rate for the job Access to
training was generally available to migrant
workers, mainly in Health and Safety, skills and
language Willingness for hard work and a lack
of local staff were the main reasons for
employing migrant workers Half of the
employers surveyed organised accommodation for
their migrant workers, most on or within the
employers premises Half of employers had
needed to get information or support in relation
to the employment of migrant workers. Language
was the main problem area identified by migrant
workers, who often provided assistance to other
workers facing language issues.
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