The UK government has announced plans to offer high-growth firms up to £25,000 a year to hire skilled workers from abroad, with the money covering the cost of their visas and those of their dependants. The scheme targets hires in the tech and digital, life sciences, and clean energy sectors, aiming to draw investment into the UK. However, the plans have been met with criticism for prioritizing foreign workers over the millions of young Brits struggling to find work.
Rachel Reeves is set to pay £5,000 to businesses for every foreign worker they hire – despite Britain facing its own crippling youth unemployment crisis .
Under plans announced on Wednesday, the Government will offer 'high-growth' firms up to £25,000 a year to hire skilled workers from abroad, with the money covering the cost of their visas and those of their dependants. The scheme – targeting hires in the tech and digital, life sciences and clean energy sectors – will bump visa sponsor applications from international businesses to the front of the queue as the Chancellor desperately tries to draw investment into the UK.
But the plans were met with a fierce backlash on Wednesday for prioritising foreign workers over the millions of young Brits struggling to find work. Reform UK chairman Lee Anderson last night accused Labour of 'effectively subsidising companies to recruit from other countries while hundreds of thousands of young Britons are left out of work'. He said: 'British taxpayers should not be footing the bill for importing labour when our own graduates and job seekers are being left behind.
'It’s no wonder union members across the country are turning to Reform. Brits should be first in line for jobs, training and opportunities in their own country. Only Reform UK will put British workers first and give young people the future they deserve.
' Rachel Reeves has introduced the scheme just weeks after Alan Milburn warned Labour Britain risks a 'lost generation' of jobless youth. The former Labour health secretary – currently leading a Government inquiry into young people not in education, employment or training – warned that one in six young people would be on benefits by the end of the decade.
Despite this, Ms Reeves on Wednesday said Labour would back British firms with the 'finance, talent and support they need to succeed' as she opened the door to foreign workers. Labour will also now speed through visa applications for firms based overseas that have not yet begun trading in Britain.
This would cut the time it takes for businesses to obtain their 'Expansion Worker' sponsor licence – which allows temporary relocation to Britain – from several weeks to around 10 days
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