Cable & Wireless gets its woman

Citation

(2003), "Cable & Wireless gets its woman", Career Development International, Vol. 8 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/cdi.2003.13708aab.001

Cable & Wireless gets its woman

Cable & Wireless gets its woman

When Cable & Wireless (C&W) advertised across Europe for qualified engineers with cutting-edge skills in submarine-cable technology, only a handful of suitable candidates emerged from among the 500 applications received. Specific skills for the post included expert knowledge of fibre optics and factory-acceptance testing, in-station testing, installation and commissioning of cable projects.

One applicant, a Yugoslav, had all the necessary skills, including experience in optoelectronic telecommunications, circuit design, radio relay and satellite systems. But she did not have the minimum amount of work experience usually required when applying for a UK work permit, and the salary being offered may not have been considered high enough by the immigration authorities for the type of job involved.

C&W called in international-assignment management consultancy Expatriate Essentials, which advised the company on how to manage the situation. It highlighted the candidate's recent completion of a highly relevant doctorate, and gave a detailed explanation to the UK immigration authorities of the unique commercial requirements and exceptional qualities the candidate offered. The consultancy also demonstrated that the salary offered was appropriate for the job. The application was approved with no conditions.

Similarly, Petroleum Geo-Services Reservoir Consultants (UK) Ltd (PGS) needed a highly qualified engineer to come to Britain to manage a reservoir-development project.

The role of reservoir-engineering manager is not listed by the European authorities as a "shortage" occupation. PGS had a manager in South Africa with extensive technical experience in the specialized field. He was a PhD with more than 17 years' experience. His knowledge of the simulation of single-phase, compressible fluid flow in fractured petroleum reservoirs using finite elements was unrivalled. PGS needed him to start working in the UK as soon as possible.

The engineer had less than six months' service with the company, and so did not qualify for an internal transfer under immigration-authority rules. But the exceptional combination of skills and experience were considered unique and impossible to source within the local labour market.

Expatriate Essentials explained the specialized nature of the candidate's experience, qualifications and technical skills to Work Permits (UK), described his career history and why advertising the post would be fruitless. The consultancy requested that, uniquely for this post, the advertising rule be waived.

Work Permits (UK) considered the employment aspects of the case and noted that the application did not fully meet the criteria. However, it decided exceptionally to approve the application, with the caveat that it did not mean that future applications would be treated in the same way.

Expatriate Essentials has experience of dealing not only with Work Permits (UK), but also with similar authorities around the world. An Expatriate Essentials spokesman commented: "We do not advocate bending, flouting or ignoring the rules, but when faced with a challenge such as the above examples, we are ideally placed to work with the authorities to reach an acceptable conclusion for both parties.

"When applying for UK work permits, there are forms to fill in, criteria to meet and regulations to adhere to. Mistakes can be costly in terms of time and revenue, but an experienced work-permit administrator will become expert in meeting the requirements and can process the application quickly, efficiently and successfully."

The European Economic Area (EEA), which includes the states of the EU, plus those of the European Free Trade Area, has an extensive list of shortage occupations. They include education, medicine, veterinary science, analyst programmers, database specialists, software engineers, actuarial services and some engineering jobs. Foreign applicants in these categories benefit from simplified work-permit requirements. But they must have a relevant degree, or a degree with at least 12 months' relevant work experience.

If a position is not listed as a shortage occupation, a work permit for a foreign national is normally only issued when no local expertise is available. To prove this, the employer must advertise the post in a national publication or professional journal that is readily available throughout the EEA. They must prove that no suitably qualified local applicants exist before offering the job to a foreign national.

Alternatively, if an employee has been with his or her employer for over six months, he or she can qualify for an internal transfer without the job being advertised externally. If the company has not advertised the position but considers that an advertising waiver is appropriate, Work Permits (UK) will need evidence to support this.

Intra-company transfers should meet criteria established by the UK authorities before a work permit will be granted. Normally, the position must be of a grade and salary level that excludes the appointment of a "resident" employee. The preferred candidate should have been employed by the company for a minimum of six months before he or she can qualify for an internal-transfer work permit.