Bill Midgley

May 17 2006 By Bill Midgley, The Journal

The issue of immigrant labour, be that from illegal immigration from the European Union or asylum seekers, is an extremely emotive one, and far be it for me in these notes to make a comment on the rights or wrongs of the situation.

However, it has to be said that we are where we are, and the business community in particular has benefited greatly from the inflow of skills from other countries.

A skills deficit - still a major problem to many employers - particularly in the North, has been, to some extent, alleviated by these inflows. And, whilst it is perhaps true that many of the lesser-paid roles have been filled by this new labour force, there have also been many additions to our skill base, particularly in building and transport industries.

Helping to assimilate this addition to the European population, therefore, has to remain the responsibility of all, including the business community which, in my experience, has tended to distance itself from the situation, looking on this as either a political or social problem.

It is no good, however, business benefiting from skills yet turning its back on how we absorb varying cultures into our community.

In the North-East, an International Refugee Week will start on June 20; an opportunity for the business community to become part of how we celebrate the wide range and diversity of cultures that make up this region. But, despite a number of approaches to various businesses, the response has been marginal to say the least.

The inflow of a new workforce in no way alleviates the problem of resolving the overall skills shortage which at long last appears to have risen considerably up the Government's agenda. And, indeed, there are some encouraging areas of activity through the Learning and Skills Councils and through the educational institutions.

But this will take time to deliver and most businesses, in recognising they must solve their problems today, have resorted to importing skills from wherever necessary.

In recent years there have been efforts by Government to persuade business as a whole to adopt "corporate and social responsibility", and, whilst many businesses will rightly say they fulfil this objective by providing employment and by putting money into regional economies, that in the 21st Century is not sufficient.

The events during the week of the June 20 will be a great opportunity for business, not only to show itself off as the driving force of our economy, but also as a means of welcoming what will be a valuable addition to our skills and workforce. An opportunity which the business community can hardly afford to miss.

Bill Midgley is president of the British Chambers of Commerce.