06 October 2008
Migrant Workers Can Plug Skills Gaps
The Cheshire & Warrington Economic Alliance (CWEA) has
published a study on economic migration and the skills of migrant
workers in Crewe, Warrington and Chester.
CWEA commissioned MMU Cheshire to carry out the research as a
response to findings from the recent review of the economy by SQW
Consulting and Cambridge Econometrics which suggested that migrant
workers could potentially fill the skills gaps in the sub
region.
The research has found that:
Most were qualified to A level equivalent or higher but none
were able to use their skills in their current work.
Most were currently working in low-level, unskilled, manual
jobs.
Salary aspirations indicate that many migrants underestimate
their skills and the saleability of these on the labour market in
the UK.
Very few migrants had any idea of the type of work that they
could apply for in the UK, where to look for job opportunities at
graduate level and how to use places like Jobcentre Plus outlets to
their benefit
The research was carried out amongst migrant workers from A8¹
countries and examined what A8 migrants’ report they bring to the
area in terms of work experiences, work motivations and aspirations
for the future.
Martin Lee, Chief Executive of CWEA says:
“The migrant workers coming into Cheshire and Warrington are
generally young and well educated. They could prove an invaluable
pool of skilled labour for employers as Cheshire and Warrington’s
incumbent population is ageing more so than other areas of the
North West. We need to harness the skills of these workers and
ensure that they are motivated to stay in the area.”
Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the Northwest Regional
Development Agency (NWDA), said:
“Cheshire and Warrington, and the region, need to work on
keeping our homegrown talented young workers but should also
maximise the benefits of having young skilled migrant workers
coming here. It is clear from this research that not enough
migrants feel able to make that step up from low to higher skilled
employment. Making them aware of the many opportunities for
progression is something which must be worked on in order to secure
a thriving regional economy. “
The study can be downloaded from the CWEA website at http://www.cwea.org.uk/a8-migrant-worker-study.
¹ A8 refers to eight countries that joined the European Union in
2004: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Czech Republic, Hungary,
Slovenia and Slovakia.
- Ends -
For further information contact:
Tina Johnston, External Relations Manager
Cheshire & Warrington Economic Alliance
Tel: 01606 734187; Email: Tina.Johnston@cwea.org.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
CWEA
Cheshire and Warrington Economic Alliance brings together leaders
and influencers from both the public and private sector to work in
partnership on a wide range of economic development issues in the
sub region to ensure a dynamic, high quality environment for both
business and residents. Visit www.cwea.org.uk.
NWDA
CWEA receives funding from the Northwest Regional Development
Agency (NWDA). NWDA leads the economic development and regeneration
of England's Northwest and is responsible for:
• Supporting business growth and encouraging investment
• Matching skills provision to employer needs
• Creating the conditions for economic growth
• Connecting the region through effective transport and
communication infrastructure
• Promoting the region’s outstanding quality of life
For further information visit: www.nwda.co.uk, www.englandsnorthwest.com
MMU Cheshire
www.cheshire.mmu.ac.uk