Closed call for evidence

Guidance for sector leads

Updated 5 November 2025

This document provides an overview of the MAC call for evidence (CfE) process and supports the ‘occupation summary’ form.

Background information

This call for evidence (CfE) is a key component in stage 2 of our review for the Temporary Shortage List (TSL) where we will recommend the occupations that are included on the list.

As outlined in the commissioning letter, for occupations to be placed onto the TSL, there must be a proper workforce strategy (now referred to as a ‘jobs plan’) in place which aims to maximise the use of the UK workforce and includes agreed training plans with skills organisations. This call for evidence represents a subset of the fuller jobs plan process, with the specific purpose of receiving evidence for the TSL commission.

Existing quantitative analysis

The evidence submitted within this CfE is intended to supplement the in-house cross-economy analysis our team are already conducting.

To minimise work for you, and to ensure the most effective and consistent analysis across sectors, we request that any quantitative evidence you submit is different and complementary to, rather than a duplication of the in-house analysis already underway.

We will aim to share this analysis with you as soon possible. The analysis will provide contextual information for each occupation – where sample sizes allow robust reporting of information – for respondents to draw upon to help inform responses should they wish. This may include looking at the following topics and sources – so to avoid duplication respondents are encouraged to present evidence additional to:

• historical use of visas in the occupation, based on published immigration statistics on entry clearance visas (note this information is already available in Annex A of ‘Temporary Shortage List: Stage 1 report’)
• trends in employee volumes (from Annual Population Survey/ Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings data)
• trends in job adverts (from Lightcast data)
• trends in median hours worked (from Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings data)
• trends in median hourly earnings – relative to overall trends for RQF 3-5 jobs - from Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings data

The occupation summary form

This form should be completed for each occupation you wish to be considered for the TSL. The level of detail you provide should be sufficient to address all relevant aspects of the occupation under review. As a general guideline, we would expect the document to be 2 to 3 pages of narrative, excluding any graphs or charts that are included.

Please note the analysis we intend to conduct as outlined above, and we ask that the responses build on this. For all responses, please consider explanations for observed trends, identification and discussion of any limitations in the data, and, where relevant, analysis that is disaggregated by devolved nations or regions.

The most effective jobs plans will not necessarily claim to resolve the entirety of workforce shortages in the coming years. Good plans will be proactive and targeted at the identified barriers to workforce supply, realistic about what’s possible, proportionate to the scale of the challenge, and demonstrate broad industry action. Submissions that provide an honest assessment and demonstrate genuine efforts to maximise use of the domestic workforce will be of greater value than an overoptimistic or otherwise unrealistic return.

Section A: occupation

Please select the appropriate SOC code from the drop down. For ‘NEC’ (not elsewhere classified) occupations please also state the relevant job titles which fit within that SOC code.

If you are unclear where a job title sits within the SOC framework, please use the Cascot SOC 2020 identifier and enter the name of the job you want to find an occupation code for in the text box at the top of the page.

Section B: shortage and drivers

This section relates to the current and recent shortage, the drivers behind this, and relevant background information to the role. Key considerations for this could include:

• background information
  • the main responsibilities and activities for this role
  • the role this occupation plays within the sector
  • the specific qualifications or experience needed for this role
  • how long it takes to get the relevant qualifications or experience, and any other stocks of workers that have transferable skills relevant to this role
• evidence of shortage
  • how long the occupation has been in shortage
  • any regional/national patterns to the shortage across the UK, and if so, where they are
  • the scale of the current unmet demand for the occupation
  • the concentration of the shortages relative to levels of employment, and any data and sources that supports this
• drivers of shortage
  • why the occupations are hard to fill and the barriers to recruitment or retention
  • any barriers within the educational system
  • any factors specific to the occupation such as the nature of the occupation, pay, conditions or location

Section C: the future

This section relates to recent employment trends and what future employment might look like for this occupation over the next 5 to 10 years. We would suggest using Skills England data as a baseline for how these trends are likely to evolve.

Key considerations for this could include:

• demand, supply and shortage estimates
• if using any different or additional data sources, a clear methodology and explanation of how it deviates from the recommended benchmarks
• what is driving the “demand” or “need”, i.e. is the stated demand to maintain the current size of the occupation (replacement demand) and/or to meet a certain level of growth in the occupation or sector
• how this might vary at a regional or devolved nation level
• key policies or government commitments that are affecting the demand and supply of workers
• any seasonality to this supply

Section D: actions

This section relates to the actions that have been, or are being taken, to address any shortfall.

Clearly linking actions to the relevant SOC code will help signal the commitment to increasing recruitment from the domestic workforce. Where this is possible, we suggest splitting this out into a table to highlight what the action is, the intended impact and the relevant timeframe.

Key considerations for this could include:

• previous actions
  • linking to specific barriers, the actions the sector has already taken (or has in progress) to overcome difficulties in filling hard to fill vacancies
  • the actions that the government and sector have taken to train new domestic workers, including the commitment to work with the Department for Work and Pensions on a domestic labour strategy
  • how employers have been involved in the development of training for the sector
  • the impacts existing strategies have had and the evidence for this
• new actions
  • new actions planned to address the shortages, and how these actions differ from previous actions taken to address shortage
  • how the intended impacts of these actions will be ensured and measured
  • the anticipated timeline for these actions
  • for government-backed initiatives, you could include information from an impact assessment or business case if available
  • key milestones, for example the dates when new funding will be spent, when new courses will start to enrol students, when increased volumes of students will start courses, when increased volumes of students will enter the workforce
  • who is responsible for realising the impact of each initiative
  • relevant devolved nation or region-specific initiatives
• final considerations
  • the impact, if any, of the occupation not being on the Temporary Shortage List
  • why migration should be the response to this shortage
  • how the risk of exploitation of both domestic and migrant workers in the sector will be managed