The Food and Drink Federation has welcomed the findings of the newly-published Migration Advisory Committee interim update report.
Competitiveness Director at the Food and Drink Federation, Angela Coleshill, said UK businesses are worried about what a future migration system might look like once we’ve left the European Union and the final report must fully address these concerns.
“It is vital that the MAC provides an evidence-based solution which supports the continued growth of the UK’s largest manufacturing sector and enables us to feed the nation,” she said.
“We employ 117,000 highly valued EU workers within the food and drink sector and they play a vital role in guaranteeing the success of the £112 billion ‘farm to fork’ food chain. Our industry has faced a skills gap for some time. Food and drink manufacturing will require 140,000 new workers by 2024 to meet the needs of a growing sector requiring more highly technical skills and to manage demographic change. We need to be able to attract talent to ensure we remain a world leading sector. Food and drink manufacturers will often plan their workforce needs of more than a year in advance and will need to know what the future immigration system will look like to begin preparing.
“Short-term, the Government must move swiftly to set up the new registration system and provide clear guidance to workers and businesses so that our valued EU workforce and those arriving during transition have the security they need.”
