Criteria for foreign chefs changes

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has today said that employers wishing to recruit chefs from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) will now be required to pay them £8.45 per hour.

The figure is up from the original hourly rate of £8.10.

Chefs are on the shortage occupation list for skilled workers and the government reviews this periodically.

The MAC said it is continuing to work with representatives from the hospitality industry to address the shortage of chefs, in particularly ethnic chefs. The MAC added that the government will look to up-skill the UK labour market to fill more ethnic chef posts locally.

They are also taking into consideration the work of ongoing programmes carried out by Sector Skills Council and People 1st.

Announcing the publication of its recommendations the chair of the committee, Professor David Metcalf, said: "The Points Based System, including the shortage occupation list, has to operate for the benefit of UK workers, especially given the current economic climate.

"These latest recommendations take account of the impact of the worldwide recession on the UK. We have looked critically at the evidence regarding the occupations under review and made recommendations which balance the needs of the UK workforce against those of employers.

"It is important to note that some shortages of skilled labour will still exist in a recession. This can be where there is a long-term structural shortage of skilled workers, where workers provide key public services, or in areas such as culture where the UK needs to maintain global leadership."

Last month, the Department for Innovation, Universities & Skills held a summit to discuss the issues currently affecting those running ethnic restaurants.

The Asian and Oriental catering industry is worth around £4 billion a year to the UK economy and offers jobs to approximately 100,000 people.

Words: Clare Riley

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