The government has recently published a research briefing on ‘Green skills for education and employment’, in which it defines green skills as “the knowledge, abilities, values and attitudes needed to live in, develop and support a society which reduces the impact of human activity on the environment”.
View the research briefing.
Attention to this issue is vital, and the Landscape Institute’s (LI) Skills for Greener Places Report highlights the scale of the problem our country faces to meet the demand for green skills, generated by the unprecedented challenges in climate, energy, housing, and nature recovery.
While the government’s research into the issue is welcomed, the Landscape Institute is extremely concerned with recent immigration policy decisions which we see as exacerbating the skills shortage. This includes the Migration Advisory Committee’s Review of the Shortage Occupation List, and a concurrent move to increase the minimum earnings threshold for Skilled Worker visas from £26,200 to £38,700.
As a skill very much in demand, there is no question that landscape professionals should remain classified as an essential profession. Any other development will block vital expertise, thwarting business enterprise and limiting opportunities for sustainable growth.
We note with empathy our members’ concern at these developments. We also note that contributors to the government research “suggest that international talent attraction may be restricted by UK immigration rules.”
Posted On: 14/03/2024
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