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back to article Border Agency monitors migrant ITers with inadequate IT

MPs say the UK Border Agency needs better IT to provide data about its points-based system for non-EU workers. Parliament's public accounts committee has found that the UK Border Agency (UKBA) does not have the necessary IT to provide proper management information to control the flow of workers entering Britain from outside …

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  1. Is it me?

    Ah well.

    We need to import IT skills because we aren't training enough graduates with up to date skills because it's cheaper to train off-shore and then on-shore, than train existing UK staff with new skills.

    Training existing staff means taking them away from their day job, so you incur lost opportunity costs as well as the costs of training. We like to sweat our human assets.

    However if the government wants to train all those unemployed IT professionals for us, then we might think about employing them, but then they won't be as experienced as the cheaper overseas staff.

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    1. hplasm
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      Grenade

      Bullsh1t!

      It's not about 'skills'- it never is- it's always about CA$H.

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    2. Anonymous Coward
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      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Ah well

      So you'd rather take in a temporary worker, improve their skills and let them go back to their own country rather than invest in someone who will stay around a lot longer?

      In the long run it is short sighted to take in un-necessary outside workers for a short term monetary benefit.

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      1. John Smith 19 Gold badge
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        Flame

        @Chris W

        "In the long run it is short sighted to take in un-necessary outside workers for a short term monetary benefit."

        it is nevertheless *exactly* that view that British management has used for several *decades*.

        The classic argument in the US (back in the 1980s) was "If you train workers they will just *leave*."

        It was felt that the showing the company *cared* enough their future to train them further (and possibly pay them more) was *not* enough to make them loyal enough to stay with the company.

        I'd suggest that given *that* attitude it would not be surprising if staff got out of a company ASAP.

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        1. Anonymous Coward
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          Anonymous Coward

          @John Smith 19

          What you wrote is true, it's always been known that to get a decent pay increase or move up the ladder the best way is to switch companies. However, if the talent stays within the country you effectively have a cross trained workforce with a benefit to the local economy(*). Employees also prefer to take in new staff instead of inward promotions to avoid bad feelings between those promoted and those not.

          (*)This raises another issue, the temporary immigrant worker is more likely to spend as little as needed and send as much possible back home. I've worked in a few countries and this is exactly what I've done and many of my co-workers so I'm speaking from direct observation.

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  2. LPF
    Thumb Down

    We have been complaining about this for years!!!..

    But with the MP being sponsored by the big consultancies , they have aided and abetted in High Value work being outsourced out of the country all in an effort to drive down the wages of british workers!

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  3. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    That is an order of magnitude more than USA

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L-1_visa

    At this rate it looks like they are transferring as "key skills" even the cleaners and the canteen lady.

    Seriously, 45K in-company transfers is more than whole of the USA + rest of EU combined. There got to be something wrong here.

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  4. Matt 4

    are we

    "Most workers enter through this route and, for instance, tens of thousands of IT workers have been brought in through intra-company transfers at a time when UK residents with IT skills are struggling to find work,"

    Can't say I have been having any problems and i get calls every week, oh you mean

    " transfers at a time when UK residents with *useless* IT skills and those not willing to relocate to where the work is are struggling to find work,"

    Anyway I await the daily mailesque anti immigration crowd to blow their load in indignant rage.

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  5. Ed
    WTF?

    Jobs?

    I've been looking at changing jobs recently and there seems to be a lot out there - for programmers anyway, so I'm not sure what they're talking about?

    I'm in the games industry though so maybe it's different, but very few games companies in the UK aren't hiring, and a few are hiring for 40+ coders...

    Even outside the games industry I've seen quite a lot of jobs advertised.

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  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    a guardian reader writes ...

    " transfers at a time when UK residents with *useless* IT skills and those not willing to relocate to where the work is are struggling to find work,"

    This is mostly true, however slightly undermined by some of the less than stellar level of competence shown by some of their replacements.

    Also for "useless" read "unproven" i.e. people with good technical skills, maybe a degree or similar but no industry experience.

    I too get a lot of calls and have no problems finding work, but I have 15 years experience - so I'm not competing against the production line, lowly paid, subsidised imports.

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    1. Matt 4
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      havn't

      Haven't read a copy of the Guardian in 15 years.

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      1. Anonymous Coward
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        Anonymous Coward

        Mistook

        I was referring to myself ...

        (given you disposition to stereotype readers of particular newspapers)

        (though that paper is damned weird)

        (probably too late for this clarification anyway)

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  7. Anonymous Coward
    Unhappy

    bozos

    The UK immigration people are total bozos.

    I have an employee who applied and got 'highly skilled migrant' classification when he is really of average abillity. And his earnings were not enough, but the UK immigration let him take into account 'other income'... he included rental income from a property in his home country and that apparently is acceptable!!?

    At the same time, I know people refused entry even to visit who are totally 100% genuine, pose no flight or any other kind of risk. Including people who have been married to British partners for years and even have kids with them.

    It makes me think that greasing the palms of border agency staff is now widespread. I just cannot see any other explanation.

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  8. Jacqui

    greased palms

    of your local politico. They can then get a negative decision overturned - but only if you are prepared to make a big enough "donation".

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