PCG newsletter 23/02: August 15, 2002: Fast Track Visas - call for evidence

In this issue:

• Fast Track Visas - call for evidence
  
• Real Life Meetings

1. Fast Track Visas - call for evidence

The Professional Contractors Group became a member of the Government's Skills Sector Panel for IT in autumn last year. The panel advises what skills in the IT sector are in short supply and would be eligible for the issuing of fast track visas to overseas workers to meet a perceived need in the market-place. Work Permits UK now are asking organisations on the Skills Sector Panel to justify which skills are still in short supply. Until now the PCG has had to supply evidence to justify skills coming off the list. The PCG has long argued that it should be the other way round, and it looks as though the message has got through.

The PCG would like to hear from contractors who have any of the skills on the shortage list. The list is shown below. The Work Permits scheme is flawed because it only recognises PAYE work and not contractors, even though it is contractors who are being replaced by permit workers contracting in to do the job through a third party body shop or even a shell company.

If you have any of the skills listed below, please email
[email protected]
To make the evidence 'stand up' with Work Permits UK, it would help if you could indicate that you would be prepared to take assignments as a PAYE worker.

The PCG will forward your emails to Work Permits UK, and will also present this evidence at next week´s Skills Sector Panel meeting. At the Wednesday meeting the committee will consider using industry surveys and information as strong markers for future examinations of the skills list, which is also something for which the PCG has argued.

Additionally, next week the PCG´s Gurdial Rai and Philip Ross will be meeting Work Permit UK officials to discuss bogus job adverts and the way that firms are ‘body shopping´ workers into the UK to replace contractors. They will present a further dossier of abuse cases for investigation.

Skills Shortage List

Occupation: Architects in senior positions only, Technology area: Java
Occupation: Business Analyst, Technology area: In any technology area
Occupation: Network Specialist, Technology area: Microsoft NT, Windows2000, any UNIX network systems
Occupation: Analyst Programmer, Technology area: Active Server Pages/Activex
Occupation: Database Specialist, Technology area: Cool:gen
Occupation: Software Engineer, Technology area: Peoplesoft, SQL Server, XML, DHTML, Broadvision E-Commerce Tools, All customer relationship Management (CRM) and Computer technology (CTI) packages (especially Siebel, Clarify and Oracle CRM)

If you have any of these skills, please email
[email protected]
For more information on the shortage list, click on http://www.workpermits.gov.uk/default.asp?pageid=2595

2. Real Life Meetings

PCG members hold local meetings to socialise, to network and to discuss PCG issues. These meetings are open to everybody, and new members are welcome to come along.

Glos/Wilts
*****
Wednesday 21 August 2002
Golden Heart, Nettleton, Glos (A419) from 7.30pm. Newcomers welcome

Herts
*****
Thursday 29 August 2002, 7.30 pm
The Five Horseshoes, 1 Church Road, Little Berkhamsted, Hertford SG13 8LY

Details of this and other Real Life Meetings in the forum:
https://www.pcgroup.org.uk/threads/wwwthreads.pl?a=l&f=meet

To promote your local meeting through the newsletter - email [email protected] with REGIONS in the subject matter, details of the event and a name and email contact point/or phone number for further information.

Issued on behalf of:
Professional Contractors Group

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