Calls continue for coach and bus driving to join the shortage occupations list, enabling the recruitment into those roles of non-UK nationals. But it appears that the government is not minded to such a change.
Such a step would undoubtedly benefit many operators. There can be no question that recruitment pressures and drivers’ pay rates have both risen, often sharply, since the UK left the EU.
Addition of driving to the shortage occupations list could in theory lead wage levels to stagnate in the medium-term. Existing staff would not appreciate that, and some could ultimately be lost. But equally, many operators talk of failing to fully exploit recovery potential through an inability to attract sufficient employees.
Scope to recruit non-UK nationals would be a boon for those businesses. But a counterargument can be made that further investment in training new staff and upping pay rates will contribute to solving shortages without the need to look overseas.
The former brings things back to the government. It does not want to place coach and bus driving on the shortage occupations list. It has shown no interest in expanding the Skills Bootcamp training approach to capture those roles. The 50km, regular service restriction on the youngest PSV drivers is a well-known constriction on recruitment for some operators. It, too, could be solved easily.
In the review of PSVAR, government is showing a more collaborative approach to working with the industry. Such a tone was lacking in the recent past. It’s now time to take that shift and port it over to driver recruitment.
