In response to the appointment of Boris Johnson as the UK’s new Prime Minister, ACCA’s chief executive Helen Brand OBE says:
Attracting the best international talent
‘It is absolutely imperative the UK upholds its status and reputation as “global Britain” by continuing to be open to those wanting to work and study here. Closing the skills gap is key to maintaining global competitiveness and there must be a commitment to ensuring employers are able to access international talent to fill critical and vacant roles. Post-Brexit, we would strongly urge the current salary threshold for international students and workers to be reduced from £30K to £20K to ensure the country has access to a large talent pool.
Protecting professional qualifications and services in the future
‘We must ensure new bilateral agreements protect and bolster the strengths of all UK trading industries and we must not overlook the need for continued and seamless trade in services which represent a £83.4bn trade surplus.
‘The UK currently benefits from a level of soft power influence granted by the continued recognition and trust in UK services, and the presence of UK qualified professionals performing highly-skilled regulated roles in international markets. As we move forward with trade agreements, it is vital Government champions our world-renowned professional services industries by ensuring mutual recognition of professional qualifications in any free trade agreement.
‘I would very much welcome the opportunity to discuss further how ACCA can support the new premiership of Boris Johnson and how our expert-led global research can provide valuable insight to Government for the years ahead.’
