移民不一定是件壞事

我時常覺得自己非常幸運，職業生涯很大一部分時間是在歐洲、北美及亞洲，許多不同國度過。這種異國經歷，我再推崇也不為過。國外度過的日子改變了我的人生，無論是職業生涯還是個人生活。那些日子裡，我感覺自己融入了當地社會，接觸到各式各樣的文化和人民，收穫了難能可貴的經歷，讓我的職業和生活都變得更加豐富和充實。

I consider myself extremely fortunate to have spent a large part of my professional career working in different countries across Europe, North America and Asia. I couldn』t recommend the experience highly enough. Time spent living away from my home country was life changing for me, both professionally and personally. Over those years, I felt welcomed into local societies, encountered a vast range of cultures and people, gained valuable experience that I would not have otherwise gained, and as a result, my own career and life has certainly been richer and more fulfilled.

讓我難過的是，這樣的機會似乎馬上要變得越來越少了。這個越來越開放的世界正在經歷變革，過去幾年裡，我們都見證了政治形勢對移民問題關注度的不斷增加。關於移民問題的討論在最近全球各國的大選中屢次出現，包括美國、法國和英國，而且在輿論中總是呈現負面的形象。雖然移民問題辯論總體來說極度複雜，但簡單粗暴地認為所有移民都是壞事是錯誤的，必須予以遏制。畢竟，美國正是建立在移民的基礎之上，而英國經濟之所以強大，部分也要歸功於歷史上各產業和公共服務部門吸引了大批來自全球各地的技術移民。

Sadly, it seems that such opportunities may soon become far more limited. Our increasingly open world is now changing and over the past few years, we』ve all seen how changing political landscapes have focused increasingly on immigration. The topic of immigration as a whole has come up time and time again in recent elections around the globe, including the United States, as well as in France and the UK, and it is usually portrayed as a bad thing. While the overall debate around immigration is extremely complicated, it is simply wrong to broad-brush that all immigration is bad and must be curtailed. After all, the USA was built on immigration in the first place and the UK economy partly owes its strength to its historic reputation for attracting skilled workers from around the world to staff its industries and public services.

應當對技術移民開放邊境而非關閉

BORDERS NEED TO BE OPEN TO SKILLED WORKERS, NOT CLOSED

這就是為什麼我認為政客和其所制定的政府政策應當要明晰界限，承認大批非技術移民和技術移民有明顯區別。這兩類移民大不一樣，但是似乎沒幾個政客明晰這一點。我們需要技術的自由流動，這樣各國經濟才能發揮最大潛能，進而促進社會發展。簡單來說，各國需要對技術移民敞開邊境，而不是將之關閉。

And this is why I feel it is important that politicians, and the government policies they enact, start to draw a clearer distinction between mass unskilled immigration and the movement of skilled workers across borders. The two are very different, yet few politicians seem to grasp that. We need free movement of skills in order for economies to run at their full potential and in turn for society to enjoy the many benefits it brings. Put simply, countries need to be opening their borders to skilled workers, not closing them.

現實憂心

越來越多的國家在未來大有可能限制技術移民。情理之中，這種趨勢導致一些僱主愈發憂慮，他們招攬人才很大程度依靠吸引技術移民。我的公司身在招聘行業，清楚地明白如果不能利用本國和全球的最佳人才，企業就很可能會出現技術缺口，商業目標就更難完成。這就是今日眾多企業所面對的憂心現實。

The prospect of a limit on skilled migration is now very real in more and more countries. Understandably this is creating growing concern to those who rely on access to talent pools beyond their own borders. As a recruitment company, my business sees all too well that without access to the best talent both locally and globally, businesses often find themselves exposed to a skills gap, making it harder for them to achieve their goals. This is the worrying reality for many today.

現在已有大量研究探討這個話題，我們不能迴避它，因為適當移民與經濟增長之間的關係可從此清晰洞見。下面列舉數例：

There』s been a huge amount of research into this topic which cannot be ignored as it consistently points to the clear correlation between appropriate immigration and economic growth. Here are a few examples:

•英國工業聯合會近期宣布，來自歐洲的勞動力對英國企業及宏觀經濟至關重要，並倡議施行一套「基於需求」的移民體系，而不是一味削減移民人數來滿足某種隨意或專門制定的指標。

•In the UK, the CBI has recently announced that European workers are crucial to the success of UK businesses and the wider economy, calling for an immigration system 「based on need」 rather than curtailing numbers to hit some arbitrary or specific target.

•同篇報告還指出，如果不能維持對全球勞動力市場的利用，企業可能被迫推遲投資計劃，因為無法雇傭必需的技術勞工。

•This same report also acknowledged that without maintained access to global labour markets, businesses may be forced to postpone investment decisions because they are unable to access the necessary skilled workers.

•美國國家研究院(NAS)最近的研究同樣指出了技術移民的重要性，理由是技術移民會提高生產效率，促進經濟增長。

•A recent study in the US, by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), also relayed the importance of skilled migration by stating it is likely to increase productivity and economic growth.

政客可能有削減移民的政治需要，以保證自己競選成功，但是我們不能忽視事實，那就是企業仍然對移民有實際且迫切的需求。這就引到了我的下一點——從商業角度來看，人才的自由流動大有裨益。

There may be a political need to cut migration in order to get (re)elected, but we simply can』t ignore the fact that businesses still have a real and pressing need for it. And that leads me to my next point – the free movement of talent makes really good business sense.

商業角度下人才的自由流動大有裨益

THE FREE MOVEMENT OF TALENT MAKES GOOD BUSINESS SENSE

海外工作不僅僅對個人的職業有益，對企業也有不少實在的益處。從商業角度來看，人才的自由流動大有裨益，我認為這一點無需爭論。首先從經濟方面看，移民就是一個簡單的供需方程，只要哪兒有需求，就應該允許人才往哪兒流動。第二，眾所周知，多元化的工作團隊比只有相同背景或經驗員工組成的團隊的表現要強。最後，雇傭海外人才常常會促進現有員工提高自身技術水平。適當的技術移民百利無一弊。

The benefits of working abroad aren』t just limited to individual careers – the benefits to businesses are real too, and there are lots of them. The free movement of talent simply makes good business sense, and it』s hard to argue otherwise in my opinion. In economic terms, it』s a simple supply and demand equation and talent should be allowed to move to where the demand is felt. Secondly, we know that diverse teams often perform more strongly than those made up of people with a similar background or set of experiences. Finally, hiring in external talent often raises the skill level of current employees. This can only ever be a good thing.

我們必須提高本土勞動力的技術水平以保障長期繁榮

WE MUST UPSKILL OUR LOCAL WORKFORCES TO ENSURE LONG-TERM PROSPERITY

政策若能讓國內經濟實現產業和公共服務部門的技術自給自足，我舉雙手贊成。事實上，這樣的體系會讓國家經濟擁有長期競爭優勢。我們現在的背景是未來移民極有可能減少，那麼至少我們看到了國家越來越重視填補技術缺口，通過為本土勞動力提供更好的教育和培訓的方式。

I have absolutely no problem with policies that enable a local economy to become self-sufficient in the skills its industries and public services require. In fact, such a system will provide a long-term competitive advantage for that economy. So, with a context where immigration is most likely to fall in the coming years, at least we have started to see increased focus on filling the skills gap by better educating and training local workforces.

我多年前的第一份工作是見習工程師，親身感受到了技術培訓的益處，所以我是站在過來人的立場上發言。遺憾的是，英國的這種體系在近年經歷了重創，好在現在又有復甦之勢，因為人們再次領悟到這種體系給年輕一代提供了通往全球職場的絕佳渠道。這就是為什麼英國政府近期推出技術教育考試T-level（技術教育全面改革規劃）的決定是件大事：這昭示了英國真心實意地投入，要將有才能的年輕一代培養成未來企業需要的技術勞動力。然而，各國並不需要從零開始建立這種體系。照搬其他國家的好點子沒有什麼不對，學習德國長久以來成功的學徒制模式，比自己摸索要容易許多。在德國，大部分學徒都會參加一個融合僱主培訓和教育學習的三年制項目。德國也有自己的技術缺口問題，但是如果沒有這種體系，經濟只會更差，這種體系讓技術教育變成了德國經濟成功的關鍵。

Many years ago my first job was as an apprentice engineer, so I speak as someone who has personally benefited from skills-led training. Sadly such systems were largely eliminated in the intervening years in the UK, but have now started to make a comeback as realisation dawns again that they provide an excellent route into the world of work for many young people. This is why the UK government』s recent decision to launch T-Levels (the planned overhaul of technical education) is so important: it signals a real commitment to developing talented young people into the skilled workers we will all need to hire tomorrow. A country doesn』t need to invent something from scratch however. There』s nothing wrong in copying someone else』s good idea and we could all do far worse than look at Germany』s longstanding and successful apprenticeship model. There, most apprentices join a three year programme, combining employer training with education learning. Germany still has its own skills gap but it would be far, far worse with out the benefit of its systems that make technical education crucial to its economic success.

然而，僅依靠提高本土勞動力的技術水平無法解決技術缺口的迫切問題。

But, the upskilling of local workforces alone won』t solve the immediate skills-gap problem.

集中全部精力發展如T-level和廣義學徒制這樣的本土計劃是有弊端的，這些體系無法解決當今企業領導者面對的迫切問題——技術缺口愈發擴大，隨之當今各產業創造的崗位無法填滿。教育我們的年輕一代是種絕佳的長期辦法，但是這無法填補已存在的技術缺口，這一缺口對與想要雇傭技術勞動力的眾多企業已十分明顯。為未來建設一條人才管道是件需要時間的事，無法短期內完成。如果教育是技術缺口問題的長期解決方案，那技術移民似乎是現在唯一的短期解決辦法。遺憾的是，越來越多的國家正反其道而行之。不過，還是有一些頭腦更清醒的國家允許技術移民，以填補本土無法填補的技術缺口。例如，賈斯廷·特魯多領導下的加拿大政府近期推出了一項新的「全球人才」計劃，讓獲取技術移民簽證變得更容易，顯示了加拿大認可技術移民為國家帶來的價值。

The problem with focusing entirely on local initiatives such as T-Levels and wider apprenticeships is that they do not solve the immediate problems that sit in front of business leaders today – the widening skills gap and consequent inability to staff all the roles that industry is creating today. Educating our young people is an excellent long-term approach, but it doesn』t plug the gap that is already apparent to many businesses currently trying to hire skilled workers. Establishing a talent pipeline for the future is something that takes time and can』t simply happen overnight. If education is the long-term solution to the skills gap, then skilled migration seems to be the only shorter-term solution. Sadly, more and more countries are taking the opposite approach. However, some seem more enlightened, allowing skilled immigrants to fill the gaps that targeted local investment cannot yet fill. For example, Justin Trudeau』s government in Canada has recently launched a new 『Global Talent』 scheme that will make it easier for people to obtain skilled worker visas, acknowledging the value that these people can bring to the nation.

技術移民保障長期繁榮

SKILLED MIGRATION WILL SECURE OUR LONGER-TERM PROSPERITY

最終，我必須要陳述一個關鍵論點，人才是繁榮和發展的基礎，如果沒有合適的人才和技術，企業乃至社會都會水深火熱，而不是百花齊放。再次舉英國為例。英國國內的適齡工作人口增長率不夠高，如果生產力沒有獲得顯著提升，就無法驅動長期、可持續、增長率高於2%的經濟發展。若不實現進一步的移民，我們不可能立即突破生產力難題，英國應當要做好準備，未來最理想的情況下經濟增長也會陷入一潭死水。這將抑制未來投資，導致經濟增速更加緩慢，經濟創造的工作崗位變得更少，與鼓勵移民帶來的效果相反。毋庸再議，人人皆輸。面臨這個問題的國家不止英國一個。所以，世界各國都應當有渠道從儘可能廣泛的多元經驗人才群體汲取勞動力，因為這些勞動力會為本國經濟增長出一份力。

Ultimately, one of the key points that must be made is that prosperity and growth depend on people, and that without the right talent and skills, businesses and therefore societies can flounder rather than flourish. Take the UK again for example. Domestic working age population growth is simply not high enough to drive long-term sustainable economic growth above around 2% without a significant boost in productivity. I see no imminent breakthrough on the productivity conundrum so without further immigration, the UK should start to prepare for an era of anaemic economic growth at best. That will starve further investment, leading to even slower growth and fewer jobs being created than would otherwise be the case. Net net, everyone loses. The UK is not alone with this equation. It is therefore vital that businesses across the world can access the broadest possible group of candidates with diverse sets of experience, as these are the individuals that will help to generate local economic growth.

遺憾的是，我們企業界做的還不夠好，未能讓政府聽到我們因邊境關閉導致人才缺口而產生的憂慮心聲。開放接觸全球各地頂尖人才的渠道，應該是所有政府最重要的議程之一。作為企業的領導者，我希望最頂尖的人才來為我工作，這樣我才能在全球市場上競爭並取勝。領導國家也理所應當要這樣吸引人才，不是嗎？

Unfortunately, I don』t think we in business have done a good enough job to make sure our respective governments hear our concerns about the lack of access to talent that closing borders brings. Having access to the very best people, regardless of their origination, should be an issue near the very top of any government』s agenda. Running a business, I want the very best people working for me so that I can compete and win in a global market. Surely running a country warrants the same approach to attracting talent?

然而，我們不能忽視一個事實，從移民中獲益的不僅僅是企業。允許技術移民進入我們的邊境（無論邊境在何處），能讓企業發揮最大潛力。這反過來又創造了更多的工作崗位和機會，造福所有技術水平的本土民眾。企業繁榮了，稅收也會增加。稅收的增加可為公共服務、教育和基礎設施買單，創造出更好的商業環境。所有人都獲益。然而，要讓所有人都同意這一觀點，我們似乎還有很長的路要走。

However, we must not lose sight of the fact that it is not just business that stands to benefit from this. Allowing skilled migrants onto our shores (wherever those shores are) will allow companies to run to their full potential. That in turn creates more jobs and more opportunities for local people at all skill levels. It increases tax revenues as firms prosper. That pays for more public services, education and infrastructure, creating an even better commercial environment. We all win. But we seem to have a long way to go before everyone agrees on that.

往期ALISTAIR COX（瀚納仕執行總監 ）博客：

➤如何阻止你的傑出人才流失？

How to stop your best people leaving

➤偽裝是成功領導之路的絆腳石

If you fake it, you won』t make it