Britain’s doors must remain open to embrace the best international talent, says Antony Oliver

This week's report on overseas students and the positive impact that they have on the UK economy and workforce highlights some very important issues for an infrastructure profession rapidly heading towards a well signposted skills crisis. 

I must say that I share the general public’s reported “bafflement”, as the report puts it, that international students are classified as immigrants at all. 

"While a debate over immigration figures may be useful in getting this issue on the table, the critical step now is to refocus the debate around the need for positive government support, strategy and investment in the growth in overseas student numbers."

As others have already pointed out, students paying for the privilege of attending our very excellent universities have a very different impact on the UK compared to the unskilled, jobless migrants discussed at length in parts of the national media.

Whether or not these students should contribute to the nation’s immigration figures will inevitably grab headlines and fuel what will be an emotive General Election issue. But this risks masking other really important recommendations from this report.

Number one on this list is for government to “make a renewed effort – through its words, actions and policies – to communicate a consistent message that Britain welcomes international students”. 

The fact is that without the continued and accelerated input of talent and enthusiasm from overseas students our economy and professions – in particular those associated with engineering and infrastructure – will suffer and decay.

Not only will our already overstretched university funding model rapidly fall apart but we will also risk running out of the skills necessary to service and drive our long awaited infrastructure renaissance.

In short, we need overseas students to study here but we also increasingly need them to stay and add to our technical skill base.

Because as every company boss will tell you, recruiting and retaining the best staff is the critical success factor in the emerging economy. And we don’t have anywhere near enough home grown talent.

"The fact that the government is planning to axe the current Engineering GCSE courses at school serves simply to underline how undervalued and misunderstood this vital sector of the UK’s economy and society continues to be within the corridors of power."

The fact that the government is planning to axe the current engineering GCSE courses at school serves simply to underline how undervalued and misunderstood this vital sector of the UK’s economy and society continues to be within the corridors of power. 

By contrast we see other emerging nations such as China continuing to embrace its technical backbone, producing vast quantities of engineers and technical experts –many of whom fortunately still choose to study in the UK. The domination of Chinese projects in this year’s FIDIC awards underlines this commitment.

So while a debate over immigration figures may be useful in getting this issue on the table, the critical step now is to refocus the debate around the need for positive government support, strategy and investment in the growth in overseas student numbers.

The UK remains a leading light in global infrastructure design and delivery but right now we need all the partners we can find if we are going to stay there.

Antony Oliver is the editor of Infrastructure Intelligence