A national advertising campaign highlighting Britain’s Brain Gain has been launched, spotlighting the rich talent pool amongst the UK’s 1.4 million freelance workers and highlighting their £82 billion contribution to our economic output.
The newspaper campaign and the Britain’s Brain Gain website reflects on the ability, imagination and effectiveness of freelance workers throughout the UK.
Launching the campaign, PCG, the voice of freelancing, has interviewed some big hitters, with industrialists like James Bellini, Sir Tom Farmer and Michael Van Swaaij all lending their voice to the age of the freelancer.
Their view that freelancing is a growing and vital force in Britain is echoed by Richard Lambert, the Director-General of the CBI who said: “Labour market flexibility will remain the UK’s real competitive advantage.”
Figures show that the freelance brain gain is helping the UK economy grow in these challenging times and underlines the talent pool and the increasing importance of freelancers, contractors and consultants who are able to respond quickly to the evolving needs of business. The flexibility of the freelance community is valued at £21 billion.
The campaign comes in a week that the Conservative Party made a commitment to reform the tax system to help the self-employed should they win power at the next general election.
Mark Prisk, the shadow business minister, said the present tax system struggled to cope with people working outside of traditional employment, highlighting the Government’s IR35 legislation, introduced in 1999 to tackle what was seen as a tax loophole as particularly unfair. “We want to reform the system,” said Mr Prisk.
John Brazier, Managing Director of PCG, whose members work in a wide variety of sectors including oil and gas, engineering, information technology, management consultancy, marketing, telecommunications and pharmaceuticals said:
“Britain’s Brain Gain campaign is quite simply a statement of fact. The talent pool of freelance workers offers flexibility to companies, groups and organisations; it helps them manage risk and unlock innovation and talent within their business. It’s a no brainer.
“Britain’s Brain Gain can bolster expertise and improve speed to the market. I would say to every MD in the UK, while your competitor is thinking about it, you could have a team of freelancers delivering it!”
Find out why freelancing is Britain’s brain gain:
http://www.britainsbraingain.com
PCG, the voice of freelancing, is an independent association that represents, supports and promotes the freelance community in the UK. PCG exists to serve the needs of its membership, which has grown steadily to encompass circa 20,000 freelancers, contractors and consultants.
