Skills “boot camps” will be offered

The government is set to offer “skills training camps” to try to get people on welfare back to work and fill positions previously held by foreign workers.

In a speech on Tuesday, Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride will promise skills training for sectors experiencing shortages, such as social care, hospitality and construction, saying the UK depends on workers foreigners for “too long” and that he is “determined to put foreign workers to work”. It’s true”.

The announcement will come ahead of the publication on Thursday of new net migration statistics, showing the number of people entering and leaving the UK in 2023.

The last time the statistics were published, the figure reached a record 745,000 in 2022 – leading to a backlash from right-wing MPs in the Conservative Party who want to see that figure lowered.

The government has since announced a series of new measures to try to curb legal immigration, including prevent students from bringing their dependents And increase the salary a person must earn to qualify for a visa.

But some cabinet members have raised concerns about the impact on UK university coffers, as well as the workforce, with some firms unable to recruit the staff they need.

In his speech, Mr Stride will say he understands that a reduction in staff numbers will be a “recruitment challenge”, but he believes the government can build “a new economic model based on British talent”.

He will confirm that a new cross-government ministerial working group has been set up to “develop recruitment initiatives” to put people to work – similar to efforts in 2021 to recruit more. Heavy goods vehicle drivers – and this decision will have the additional advantage of “reducing the bill for social benefits”.

The Minister will add: “This is also a huge opportunity for the thousands of jobseekers in our domestic workforce to access roles that were previously filled by foreign workers.

“My message to businesses is therefore clear: our Jobcentre teams are ready to help you find the right candidate and we want to work with you to meet your recruitment challenges.

“And my message is also to the British people. For too long we have relied on foreign labor when there is great talent right here in the UK – I am determined to do something about it. “

The plan was rejected by the Labor Party, with its shadow work and pensions acting secretary, Alison McGovern, saying: “After 14 years of Tory failure, Mel Stride cannot escape the Tories’ record on work.”

She added: “The Conservatives have degraded our skills and training system. And we now have record levels of net migration.

“They should put in place proper plans to tackle the labor shortage and adopt Labour’s plans to link the immigration system to skills, not create another venue for discussion.”