Government-approved shortage occupation list for Tier 2 of the Points Based System

29 April 2010
Sponsors must also refer to the Tier 2 codes of practice for detailed information about occupations, appropriate salary rates, and the evidence they need to keep to show that the shortage occupation criteria have been met.
A small amendment to the skill levels included for skilled contemporary dancers has been made from 1 March 2010. A factual amendment due to changes in the way skilled work riders are registered has been made from 29 April 2010.

UK list:

Related occupation title and SOC code
Job titles and skill levels included on the shortage occupation list
Relevant code of practice

Production, works and maintenance managers (1121)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• project manager in the electricity transmission and distribution industry
Section C – manufacturing

Managers in mining and energy (1123)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• the following jobs in the electricity transmission and distribution and the electricity generation industries:
– site manager
– station manager
– shift/group leader

Section B – mining and quarrying

Biological scientists
and biochemists (2112)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• cardiac physiologist
• clinical neurophysiologist
• clinical vascular scientist
• respiratory physiologist
• sleep physiologist

Section Q – human health and social work activities
Physicists, geologists and meteorologists (2113)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• engineering geologist
• hydro geologist
• geophysicist
• geoscientist
• geophysical specialist
• engineering geophysicist
• engineering geomorphologist
• nuclear medicine scientist
• radiotherapy physicist
• staff working in diagnostic radiology (including magnetic resonance imaging).

Section M – professional, scientific and technical activities
Civil engineers (2121)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• geotechnical engineer
• geotechnical design engineer
• geotechnical specialist
• reservoir panel engineer
• rock mechanics engineer
• soil mechanics engineer
• geomechanics engineer
• tunnelling engineer
• petroleum engineer

Section F – construction
• geoenvironmental engineer
• contaminated land engineer
• drilling engineer
• completions engineer
• fluids engineer
• reservoir engineer
• status resource engineer
• offshore and subsea engineer
• control and instrument engineer
• process safety engineer
• planning drilling engineer
• subsurface engineer
• project civil engineer in the electricity generation industry
• contaminated land engineer

Mechanical engineers (2122)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• mechanical engineer in the electricity transmission and distribution industry
• mechanical engineer in the electricity generation industry

Section M – professional, scientific and technical activities
Electrical engineers (2123)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• all electrical engineers in the oil and gas industry
• all electrical engineers in the electricity transmission and distribution industry, including the following:
– power system engineer
– control engineer
– protection engineer
– project control engineer
– control and instrumentation engineer
– assistant engineer

Section M – professional, scientific and technical activities
Chemical engineers (2125)
ALL jobs in this occupation code

Section M – professional, scientific and technical activities
Design and development engineers (2126)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• design engineer in the electricity transmission and distribution industry

Section C – manufacturing
Production and process engineers (2127)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• plant process engineer in the electricity transmission and distribution industry

Section C – manufacturing
Planning and quality control engineers (2128)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• the following jobs in the electricity transmission and distribution industry:
– planning / development engineer
– quality, health, safety and environment engineer

Section M – professional, scientific and technical activities
Engineering professionals not elsewhere classified (2129)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• the following jobs in the electricity transmission and distribution industry:
– project engineer
– proposals engineer

Section M – professional, scientific and technical activities
Medical practitioners (2211)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• Consultants in the following specialities:
– audiological medicine
– genito-urinary medicine
– haematology
– medical microbiology and virology
– neurology
– nuclear medicine
– obstetrics and gynaecology
– occupational medicine
– paediatric surgery
• Consultants in the following specialities of psychiatry:
– forensic psychiatry
– general psychiatry
– learning disabilities psychiatry
– old age psychiatry
• Non-consultant, non-training, medical staff posts in the following specialities:
– anaesthetics
– paediatrics and general medicine specialities delivering acute care services (intensive care medicine, general internal medicine (acute), emergency medicine, general surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, and trauma and orthopaedic surgery)
• ST4 level trainees in paediatrics

Section Q – human health and social work activities
Pharmacists/pharmacologists (2213)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• pre-registration pharmacist working in the NHS or hospitals
• registered pharmacist working in the NHS or hospitals

Section Q – human health and social work activities
Dental practitioners (2215)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• consultants in paediatric dentistry

Section Q – human health and social work activities Veterinarians (2216)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• veterinary surgeon
Must be registered as a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) to work in the UK.

Section S – other service activities
Secondary education teaching professionals (2314)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• secondary education teachers in the subjects of maths or pure sciences (physics, chemistry, biology and any combinations of these)

Section P – education
Special needs education teaching professionals (2316)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• all teaching posts in special schools

Section P – education
Social workers (2442)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• social worker in children’s and family services

Section Q – human health and social work activities
Engineering Technicians (3113)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• commissioning engineer

Section M – professional, scientific and technical activities
Science and engineering technicians not elsewhere classified (3119)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• production controller in the electricity generation industry

Section M – professional, scientific and technical activities
Nurses (3211)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• specialist nurse working in operating theatres
• operating department practitioner
• specialist nurse working in neonatal intensive care units

Section Q – human health and social work activities
Medical
radiographers (3214)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• HPC-registered diagnostic radiographer
• HPC-registered therapeutic radiographer
• sonographer

Section Q – human health and social work activities
Medical and dental
technicians (3218)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• nuclear medicine technologist
• radiotherapy technologist

Section Q – human health and social work activities
Speech and language
therapists (3223)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• speech and language therapist at Agenda for Change bands 7+ or their independent sector equivalents

Section Q – human health and social work activities
Therapists not elsewhere classified (3229)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• HPC-registered orthoptist

Section Q – human health and social work activities
Dancers and choreographers (3414)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• skilled classical ballet dancers who meet the standard required by internationally recognised United Kingdom ballet companies (e.g. Birmingham Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Northern Ballet Theatre, The Royal Ballet and Scottish Ballet). The company must either:
– have performed at or been invited to perform at venues of the calibre of the Royal Opera House, Sadler’s Wells or Barbican, either in the United Kingdom or overseas; or
– attract dancers and/or choreographers and other artists from other countries; or
– be endorsed as being internationally recognised by a United Kingdom industry body such as the Arts Councils (of England, Scotland and/or Wales)
• skilled contemporary dancers who meet the standard required by internationally recognised United Kingdom contemporary dance companies (e.g. Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company, Scottish Dance Theatre and Rambert Dance Company). The company must either:
– have performed at or been invited to perform at venues of the calibre of Sadler’s Wells, the Southbank Centre or The Place, either in the United Kingdom or overseas; or
– attract dancers and/or choreographers and other artists from all over the world; or

Section R – arts, entertainment and recreation
– be endorsed as being internationally recognised by a United Kingdom industry body such as the Arts Councils (of England, Scotland and/or Wales)
Musicians (3415)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• skilled orchestral musicians who meet the standard required by internationally recognised companies (e.g. London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)

Section R – arts, entertainment and recreation
Photographers and audio visual equipment operators, (3434)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• the following roles within visual effects and 2D/3D computer animation for film, television or video games:
– animation supervisor
– animator
– computer graphics supervisor
– technical director
– VFX supervisor
– modeller
– rigging supervisor
– rigger
– matte painter
– texture artist
– compositing artist
– producer
– production manager
– editor
– R&D tools
– R&D software
– software engineer
– system engineer

Section M – professional, scientific and technical activities
Agricultural and
fishing trades not elsewhere classified (5119)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• Skilled work rider where the job:
– requires registration by the British Horseracing Authority; and
– requires three or more years’ relevant experience, with work responsibilities covering those acquired in an S/NVQ level 3 in Horse Care and Management or Racehorse Care and Management

Section A – agriculture, forestry and fishing
Welding trades (5215)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• high integrity pipe welder where the job requires three or more years related on-the-job experience

Section C – manufacturing
Metal working production and maintenance fitters (5223)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• licensed and military certifying engineer / inspector technician
• airframe fitter

Section C – manufacturing
Line repairers and cable jointers (5243)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• overhead linesworker in the electricity transmission and distribution industry

Section D – electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply
Electrical/electronics engineers not elsewhere classified (5249)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• site supervisor in the electricity transmission and distribution industry

Section M – professional, scientific and technical activities
Butchers, meat cutters (5431)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• skilled meat boner where the pay is at least £9.00 per hour
• skilled meat trimmer where the pay is at least £9.00 per hour

Section I – accommodation and food service activities
Chefs, cooks (5434)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• skilled chef where:
– the pay is at least £8.45 per hour after deductions for accommodation, meals etc; and
– the job requires three or more years relevant experience

Care assistants and home carers (6115)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• skilled senior care workers where:
– the pay is at least £7.80 per hour after deductions for accommodation, meals etc; and
– the job includes supervisory responsibilities (as defined in the code of practice); and
– the job requires at least a relevant S/NVQ level 2 or equivalent qualification in care; and
– the job requires two or more years relevant experience (this does not include experience gained during a work placement as part of a qualification)
• skilled senior care workers in Scotland / Wales where:
– the pay is at least £7.80 per hour after deductions for accommodation, meals etc; and
– there is a regulatory requirement for the jobholder to hold at least a relevant S/NVQ level 3 or equivalent qualification in care
Section Q – human health and social work activities

Fishing and agriculture related occupations not elsewhere classified (9119)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• skilled sheep shearer with a British Wool Marketing Board bronze medal (or equivalent) or above
Section A – agriculture, forestry and fishing

Scotland list:

Related occupation title and SOC code
Job titles and skill levels included on the shortage occupation list
Relevant code of practice
N/A
ALL job titles and occupations on the UK shortage list
See UK list for details

Medical practitioners (2211)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• consultant radiologist

Section Q – human health and social work activities