PR & Media Centre

---

02/04/2008

Intellect comments on House of Lords Economic Affairs Select Committee report on the economic impact of immigration

Intellect, the trade association for the technology industry, believes that skilled migrants can play a key role in filling skills gaps. In bringing diversity and innovation to the workplace skilled migrants ensure that the UK’s economy remains competitive.

Nonetheless Intellect stresses that migration is only one part of the solution. Encouraging more young people into higher education in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) disciplines is essential to solving the skills shortage.

Commenting on the issue Carrie Hartnell, Programme Manager for Intellect’s Transformational Business work, said:.

“In the UK we have long relied on migrant workers to provide talent and fill skills gaps.  This is certainly true in the technology industry where every year over 140,000 new entrants are needed at the same time as numbers of technology/computer science graduates are on the decline.  Migrant workers provide short term solutions to skills gaps and produce huge added value to the economy in other ways. The mix of culture, education, ideas and processes that comes through a diverse workforce enables new innovation and ways of working. New talent ensures that the UK, with its considerable skills gap, remains a strong player in the increasingly competitive global environment.”

For further information contact:
Press Office
T 020 7331 2035
E This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

PR Mailing List

Press wishing to be added to the Intellect press release mailing list should email our This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , and provide the following information:

Full name
Contact telephone number
Publication (publications if you are a freelance writer)
Areas of interest