The Ground Forum has successfully lobbied to keep Ground Engineers on the Government’s Shortage of Occupations list.
The Migration and Advisory Committee (MAC) issued a report in February 2013 on the full review of the recommended shortage occupation lists for the UK and Scotland, a sunset clause and the creative occupations. On 20 August 2012 the Minister for Immigration commissioned the MAC to undertake a review of the shortage occupation lists for the UK and Scotland and to advise on proposals to automatically remove occupations from the shortage occupation list after 2 years (sunset clause).
The Ground Forum successfully argued that the following occupations within the ground engineering industry remained in shortage:
| SOC Title and Code | Job Title(s) | Former job titles on the current Tier 2 shortage occupation list |
| Civil Engineers SOC 2121 | geotechnical engineer; tunnelling engineer | Tunnelling engineer, geotechnical design engineer, geotechnical specialist, reservoir panel engineer, rock mechanics engineer, soil mechanics engineer, geomechanics engineer |
| Physical Scientists SOC 2113 | engineering geologist, hydrogeologist, geophysicist | hydrogeologist, geophysical specialist, engineering geophysicist, engineering geomorphologist |
| Environmental Professionals SOC 2142 | Contaminated land specialist, geoenvironmental specialists, landfill engineer | geoenvironmental specialists, geoenvironmental engineer, contaminated land engineer, landfill engineer |
We continue to work to keep these occupations recognised through each review process.
To see the full MAC report visit http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/workingwithus/mac/34mac-sixth-review/