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.