The government has been called to classify construction workers as highly skilled, following the publication of the Brexit draft agreement.

Scape Group Chief Executive Mark Robinson spoke out, asking for clarity on the situation.

He said: "A lack of clarity continues to be the underlying theme following the publication of the draft agreement. One thing is certain the introduction of a new skilled-based immigration system which is based not on the country people come from, but on what they can bring to the UK will be disastrous for the construction industry.

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"As it stands construction site trades are officially classified as low-skilled jobs, and under current policy, it is not possible for non-EEA workers to obtain a work permit for low-skilled employment. The ONS recently revealed that in the countdown to Brexit the number of workers in the UK from the former Soviet bloc countries fell by 154,000 in the past year, we cannot afford to keep haemorrhaging workers in this way. The draft agreement has done nothing to ease uncertainty for migrant workers."

Mr Robinson also warned that "turning the tap off could cause an unprecedented skills deficit and an inability to deliver essential infrastructure projects".

He concluded: "The Government must ease the minds of the industry and classify construction workers as highly skilled. The construction trades require specific and detailed knowledge and it is a classification that is as arbitrary as it is unhelpful and is hugely damaging to addressing the skills gap in the UK."

(CM/MH)