Later on today, the PM is expected to trigger Article 50, the process for beginning talks on the UK’s exit from the EU, following last June’s historic EU referendum vote.

Ahead of the announcement, Recruiter spoke to a number of agencies, operating in a range of sectors from industrial to technical to driving to hospitality, about what the PM’s priorities should be in forthcoming negotiations with EU member states. Maintaining access and opening up to new talent pools was high on the agenda.

Gethin Roberts, managing director at Drivers Direct, an agency that operates in a sector already suffering from a chronic shortage of drivers, told Recruiter getting a commitment on ensuring non-UK EU people are allowed to stay post-Brexit should be the PM’s priority.

“The priority should be to get an agreement on the British people living in the EU and the EU people living in Britain. There’s so much uncertainty around that. I believe that’s what they’ll do first. About 29% of our drivers come from the EU.

“I seriously believe that’s not going to be a problem through the negotiation but I think there’s a desire from the EU to come up with an agreement and I believe there’s a desire from the British government to come up with an agreement. I think that will be solved fairly early on in negotiations, but who knows in reality?”

Andy Hogarth, CEO of Staffline, an agency that operates in industrial sectors, agrees. He told Recruiter not securing a commitment on ensuring non-UK EU people are allowed to stay would be a “disaster”.

“Were we not to allow the people here to stay, I think that would be an absolute disaster for the country – in economic terms, because you’d never buy a cup of coffee in London and probably anywhere else again.

“Part of what makes Britain a great place to live is the cultural mix of people coming from not only member states of the EU, but most countries of the world.

“I appreciate it’s a bargaining chip with the Brits living abroad, but we need to be fair to the people who have built their lives here, have had babies and their kids are at school. To be fair to them we ought to make our position very clear, very quickly, and that position is that they are welcome to remain and stay as part of British society.”

But for Ed Vokes, director at Evolve Hospitality, the PM also needs to be mindful of easing access to talent pools from Commonwealth countries post-Brexit.

“Immigration should be the priority in allowing people to work here, not just EU workers but opening up to Commonwealth countries – extending the visas for skilled people to come over from Australia and New Zealand, India, Canada and South Africa, opening up and allowing these people to come over. Not just on the two-year visas, but maybe even five-year visas.

“We need to open up to Commonwealth countries specifically because if you’ve worked in a 5-star hotel in India, you’re exposed to the cuisine of the world. A lot of these guys are very skilled and they can add a lot to the industry, and they’ve got a great work ethic. 

“We have a shortage of chefs in this country and certainly the Commonwealth countries would help us redress the balance.”

However, Lisa Greenhalgh, director at Finlay Jude Associates, urges the PM to concentrate on ensuring good trade deals for the UK.

She told Recruiter: “I am hoping the government will look at trading rules as a priority as this could affect manufacturing within the UK, which is currently on the up and the UK is continuing to move towards full employment.”

In any event, Shaun Simmons, MD at Cordant Technical Recruitment, told Recruiter the UK needs to adopt a “start-up mentality” to thrive post-Brexit.

“This ‘start-up nation’ should attract entrepreneurs who are also excited by the new UK [and] should be ready and willing to challenge the norm, and be bold for a better tomorrow.

“We need to embrace technology and invest in robotics. These will create endless opportunities for investment and employment opportunities. 

“We have cleared our desk and embarked on our new role. This is what makes the UK a country of entrepreneurs and will shake up the rest of the world. The UK, now agile, should be able to take advantage of all situations and lead the way.”

• What are your views on this issue? Email us at [email protected] or tweet us below to tell us your thoughts. We will run comments online in a round-up at the end of the week.

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