The UK must not rely on immigration “in the long-term” for digital skills and ensure companies can draw from domestic talent, the tech secretary has said.
Speaking to the UKTN Podcast, Michelle Donelan said: “It’s not good enough for us to just rely on the crutch of immigration in the long-term, because we want to be able to ensure that we can feed that industry from the UK.”
The government has faced criticism from quarters of the UK tech sector over changes to immigration policy, which they say is making it harder to attract skilled workers.
Recent changes include raising the minimum salary threshold for people seeking entry to the UK under the Skilled Worker Route. Other complaints are that the application process for tech-related visas are “needlessly complicated”.
It comes as the UK continues to face a skills gap for crucial technology roles, including AI expertise.
More than a third of British digital SMEs say a lack of technically skilled candidates is a major barrier growth, according to a report from the Federation of Small Businesses.
Donelan, who is the UK’s first science, innovation and technology secretary of state, described immigration policy as a “balancing act”.
She added: “We have to be pragmatic and have a common sense approach. We can’t make our immigration processes too simple, because they have to be fair and robust… we need an immigration process that can’t be cheated, that does support our economic needs, and that is fair to our domestic workforce.”
Writing in an opinion piece for UKTN last month, Russ Shaw, founder of Tech London Advocates and Global Tech Advocates, said: “Measures that curb talent from coming to the UK send mixed signals from the government.
“Whitehall has consistently said that the best and brightest of tech talent are welcome here, but these immigration policies call into question whether this is really the case.”
Donelan said that “we are absolutely listening” to concerns and that she wants to “bring industry on board”.
“In relation to immigration I will keep listening, I will keep referring that back to our Home Office ministers as we shape and iterate our policies and approaches,” Donelan said.