Nearly a quarter of large consultancy and engineering firms will consider moving jobs from the UK if Brexit makes it more difficult to access to skilled EU workers.

New research by the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) has revealed 22% of large consultancy firms will consider moving jobs out of the the country if it becomes more difficult to move staff around Europe.

Up to 175,000 EU workers work in the UK construction industry, totalling 8% of the sector's workforce.

With many consultancy and engineering firms developing some of the UK’s major infrastructure projects like HS2, Hinkley Point C and Heathrow Airport’s third runway, ACE said continued unfettered access to EU skilled nationals is vital as moving thousands of posts out of the country could jeopardising the delivery of these schemes.

Key highlights of the 'The Effect of EU Migration on the UK Consultancy and Engineering Sector Post Brexit' report, which was carried out in partnership with leading UK law firm Penningtons Manches, are;

• Continued unfettered access to EU skilled nationals is of high importance to consulting engineering firms

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• The robustness of the UK infrastructure pipeline is key to staff retention in the UK following Brexit

• 22% of large consultancy firms will consider moving jobs out of the UK if it becomes more difficult to move staff around Europe

• On average 10% of consultancy and engineering firms' staff are from EU member states which is higher than the construction industry average of 6%

• 67% of EU staff work in London and the south-east which is higher than the industry average

• UK workers in the sector are younger than the industry average

• EU nationals are younger than their UK counterparts

• 83% of EU nationals in consultancy and engineering firms are aged 30-39 which makes them older than the industry average

• EU nationals have been used to help manage the UK's engineering skills gap

• 50% of EU nationals are fee earners

• Continued recognition of UK qualifications will be important to EU nationals' retention

ACE chief executive Nelson Ogunshakin said the report paints a "worrying picture" for the sector.

"It is essential that we make ministers aware of the numbers of EU nationals working in consultancy and engineering firms so that we can better inform government policy-making and highlight the difficulties the sector will encounter in recruitment and retention in a post-Brexit world," he said.

"People are at the heart of our industry and without them, we have no businesses. Anything that impacts on the ability of consultancy and engineering firms to hire the best and most talented staff will impact on the ability of the sector to compete globally and efficiently deliver the UK infrastructure pipeline.

"Infrastructure is the key enabler of growth and the driver of the UK economy improving peoples' lives and our national prosperity. Our report highlights the crucial importance of EU nationals to our industry and the necessity of ensuring that consultancy and engineering firms continue to have unfettered access to EU staff following Brexit."

(LM)