Chamber

The Jersey Chamber of Commerce
Chamber on-line
OCTOBER 2015 | Visit the Jersey Chamber of Commerce website - www.jerseychamber.com
Chamber of Commerce Survey – Population
Policy And Work Licensing Policy
T
he Jersey Chamber of Commerce recently conducted a survey seeking views on the thorny and much
debated subject of the Island’s population policy and its work licensing policy.
We are grateful to the 145 member organisations which took the time to respond to the survey, and which
between them represent some 6,000+ employees.
In light of the sensitivities that the subject of population growth seems to evoke whenever the topic is debated, it was telling
that virtually all respondents (95%) acknowledged that the Island’s population will need to grow if Jersey is to continue to
be a successful and prosperous society.
Turning to the equally thorny subject of Work Licencing policy, 50% of respondents confirmed that they had applied for a
Work License on behalf of their organisation during the past 12 months, but when asked to describe their experience when
submitting applications, there was an even split between those who described the process as either satisfactory or fully
satisfactory, and those who described the process as either unsatisfactory or very unsatisfactory, with many commenting
on the burdensome and bureaucratic nature of the application process.
A common theme expressed by many Chamber members over recent years is that the outcome of applying for a Work
License can be unpredictable. Anecdotally, we often hear members express the view that the response to an application
can appear to be inconsistent when compared with others operating in similar industries and in similar circumstances, with
many commenting that decisions appear to be made on a whim. One hopes that this is not the case, but Chamber has
regularly called for a more consistent and transparent application process to be adopted, whereby if certain pre-stipulated
criteria are fulfilled, then an application will receive favourable consideration, whilst if they are not fulfilled, then the
converse will be the outcome.
The survey also asked whether members had experienced difficulties when recruiting individuals with particular skill sets
or to fill specific roles, with more than three-quarters of respondents stating that they had experienced such difficulties.
Many expressed difficulties when seeking to recruit individuals to fill roles in the catering and hospitality sector with chefs
proving particularly difficult to find. However, the difficulties were not confined solely to the hospitality sector, since a
number of member organisations operating in the medical sector, the I.T. sector and the finance sector also expressed
dissatisfaction with their ability to attract suitably skilled personnel to enable their businesses to grow.
Two-thirds of respondents had sought to fill vacancies through the “Back To Work” scheme administered by the Social
Security Department, but of those which had done so, only a third had found the scheme to be satisfactory, whilst
approximately half had found it unsatisfactory. There was considerable support for the principle of such schemes, but many
commented on the poor work ethic and attitude of candidates, and the lack of relevant attributes or skills for the roles for
which they were being presented, with some respondents suggesting that many of the candidates did not seem to
genuinely want the roles for which they were applying.
Two key themes emerged from the responses to the survey. Firstly, it was encouraging to learn that a significant number
of members are seeking to grow their businesses and recruit additional staff, albeit with mixed results and a considerable
degree of frustration experienced. Secondly, the survey served to demonstrate that there is a widespread
acknowledgement among members that in order to retain a successful and thriving economy, and to maintain the standards
and requirements of an aging society, Jersey’s population may need to increase.