Beyond ESOL? Assessing the propensity of east European migrant workers to undertake further and higher education

Abstract

This article analyses the labour market participation of east Europeans living and working in East Staffordshire and Derby. It is based upon research which examines the qualifications and occupations of these migrant workers and which also seeks to ascertain their future intentions in respect of settlement, and the propensity to undertake education and training. The findings indicate that, while an overwhelming majority of east Europeans intend to remain in the UK, there is a substantial mismatch between the existing skills of migrant workers and the low-skill, low-wage jobs they perform. However, the limited propensity of local employers to train and the constraints of full-time work and family commitments, combined with a lack of information about training and education, mean that the capacity of migrant workers to improve their labour market position is in most, but not all cases, limited.

Keywords:

• migrant workers
• occupation and qualification
• settlement patterns
• education and training

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Jutta Möhrke, Piotr Rosa and Katarzyna Lewandowska for organising the research and conducting (as well as interpreting at) the interviews. He would also like to express his thanks to David Round, from the Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin Lifelong Learning Network, for his support throughout the research project. Finally, he would like to thank staff at the college which formed the focal point of the research for their help as well as the representatives of the East Staffordshire and Derby Polish Associations involved in the research.

Notes

1. The LFS is a quarterly sample survey of 60,000 households living at private addresses in Great Britain conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

2. Nomis is a service provided by the Office for National Statistics, providing UK labour market statistics from official sources (see: http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/).

3. Key out-of-work benefits are defined by the DWP as job seekers allowance, incapacity benefits, lone parent benefits and other income-related benefits.

4. Data taken from the Comparing Qualifications across Countries website at the Institute for Employment Research, the University of Warwick: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/glacier/qual/compare.