As skills shortages remain an issue across the construction industry, five more trade sectors are to be added to the UK’s Shortage Occupation List (SOL) to make it easier for skilled migrant tradespeople to apply for work visas and fill key job vacancies. 

The construction industry had called on the Home Office to relax immigration rules to attract foreign workers who possess sought-after skill sets as a way of easing labour shortages in trades that are seeing the highest levels of demand.

What is the SOL?

The SOL includes key job roles deemed by the UK Government to be in short supply within the UK resident labour market. These roles are afforded more relaxed eligibility criteria for sponsored work visa applications.

Those working in a shortage occupation can be paid 80% of the job’s average salary and still qualify for a visa, while benefiting from a lower visa application fee. 

To help meet demand for labour in key sectors, the government commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to undertake a ‘rapid assessment’ of the existing SOL for the construction industry. 

Ahead of the findings of the full review being published later this year, the government has accepted MAC’s interim recommendations to initially add five construction sectors to the SOL in which demand for talent is particularly high. These changes are expected to come into effect before parliament breaks for summer recess.

Which trades are now included in the SOL visa list?

Construction roles that are set to be added to the SOL are:

  • Bricklayers and masons
  • Roofers, roof tilers and slaters
  • Carpenters and joiners
  • Plasterers
  • Construction and building trades n.e.c.

Further construction trades are still awaiting the full review decision for inclusion in the SOL, these are: 

  • Steel erectors
  • Scaffolders, stagers and riggers
  • Road construction operatives
  • Ceiling fixers
  • Mobile machine drivers and operatives n.e.c.
  • Elementary construction occupations

A spokesman for the Chartered Institute of Building, said: “We are pleased that today’s budget states that the government has accepted the MAC interim recommendations to initially add five construction occupations to the Shortage Occupation List.

“The construction industry continues to face numerous skills shortages, resulting from a mixture of lack of new entrants, to skilled professionals reaching retirement age.

“This is why migration continues to be a necessity for construction, helping dampen the harmful effects of having a volatile labour market.”

For those who may be considering a career in construction, or who are already in the industry and thinking about expanding their services, the SOL is likely a good indicator of the skill sets that employers are currently searching for.