This article covers —
– Federal Employment Minister announces skills and employment support programme for migrants and regional areas
– Migrationtop employment positions in popular industries, latest data
– Critical engineer shortage: Engineers Australia works to match skills
Supporting employment in regional areas and for migrants
As Australia continues its post-pandemic recovery, the country is experiencing a serious shortage of both workers and skills — something many of you will already be familiar with.Job advertisement numbers are currently at a 13-year high.
The demand spans entry-level and low-skilled roles as well as mid-to-high-skilled positions. On one hand, the country is counting on Subclass 485, Subclass 500, and working holiday visa holders to arrive on schedule from 15 December; on the other, the government is ramping up support for people already onshore — Australians and migrants alike — taking a multi-pronged approach to address the urgent workforce gap.
Australia’s present reality and outlook: “The decline in temporary migrants (estimated at over 600,000 fewer across all visa categories) has tightened labour supply in a number of industries and occupations that are heavily dependent on this workforce.”
“Treasury estimates that by 2030–31, Australia’s population will be 1.1 million lower than it would have been had the pandemic not occurred.”
Retaining the people already here, helping them find the right work and develop matching skills, is therefore equally important.
Federal Employment Minister Stuart Robert today formally announced a package of skills and employment support measures. Let’s look at the ones most relevant to us —
Boosting Employment in Regional Areas
Following Australia’s high-profile regional population policies in recent years, many people — for migration purposes or other reasons — have been learning more about regional areas. A common challenge is difficulty finding work, yet at the same time, regional businesses and employers often report that they struggle to find workers.The Minister announced an investment of $10 million to develop a real-time data tool — essentially designed to match skills and training offerings with the actual needs of regional communities.
Helping Migrants Already in Australia Access Jobs in Skill-Shortage Occupations Faster
Also announced: measures for migrants already onshore. Specifically, for migrants already residing in Australia,skills assessments in shortage occupations will be fast-tracked and fees waived, and applications from migrants without a completed skills assessment will be prioritised. Total funding over the next four years is expected to reach $20 million.
*The skills assessment referred to here most likely involves the certificates or qualifications needed for employment purposes.
The skills and employment support measures announced by the Minister today coincide with the National Skills Commission releasing its report yesterday: Australia’s Skills Priorities 2021: Now and into the Future.
Four Industries Creating the Most New Jobs
Over the next five years, to November 2025
the following four industries are projected to create the most employment opportunities
Looking at it by occupation category,community and personal service workers are projected to grow by 14.6%, representing 186,400 positions;
closely followed by professionals, with projected growth of 13.2%, representing 439,500 positions.
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Top Employment Roles in Popular Migration Industries
or, the occupations with the largest workforces in their respective industries
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
For the most common industries among migrants, the majority of job opportunities are indeed concentrated in capital cities, with Victoria and New South Wales together accounting for 65%.
Annual Employment Trend
Over the five years to 2025,the Professional occupations with the most opportunities — ICT, healthcare, and legal/social and welfare roles — are leading the charge!
Financial and Insurance Services
Again, most opportunities are in capital cities, but the concentration shifts to the east coast, with New South Wales accounting for 40%.
Construction
Trade and blue-collar occupations dominate the top five, reflecting the fact that a significant proportion of workers in this industry are self-employed.
Annual Employment Trend
Healthcare and Social Assistance
Shortages exist nationwide, though 45% of workers in this industry are part-time
Annual Employment Trend
Education and Training
Annual Employment Trend
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services
Property sales dominate by a wide margin
Annual Employment Trend
Engineers Australia: 70,000 engineering positions waiting to be filled?
The mismatch between migrants’ skills and employment is not a post-pandemic phenomenon — it simply became more acute as the pandemic intensified the skills shortage, making the waste of talent all the more regrettable. Engineers Australia (EA) recently released a new report examining this issue in depth.
Australia is seriously short of engineers — as is evident from the state nomination occupation lists,EA’s survey shows that engineering vacancies increased by 97% in a single year, with 70,000 positions waiting to be filled.Yet among migrants seeking engineering-related work, 47% reported being unemployed — simply unable to find a role.And among migrants who are working as engineers, half felt they were underemployed.
EA Chief Executive Dr Bronwyn Evans said it is disheartening to see experienced engineers driving taxis or delivering food. “I think many employers simply don’t realise this talent pool is available to them.”
“That is why we believe this report is so important — it highlights that Australia does have a cohort of highly experienced engineers who are actively seeking these opportunities.”
Most employers believe thatlocal experience and knowledge are the key to securing employment, and that internships and work experience are critical for migrants. As a result, EA itself is developing a pilot programme to connect migrant engineers with employers.
With skills and positions in shortage and demand at an all-time high, increasing migration — or at least welcoming the return of migrants — is arguably one of the core drivers of government policy for the period ahead. Does that give us a little more confidence in the government’s positive stance for the foreseeable future?
Study Abroad / Migration
Useful Resources
Videos
Past Articles
NSW’s first pilot cohort just arrived — multiple on-the-ground photos! VIC and NSW both confirmed no lockdowns
NSW’s first pilot cohort just arrived — multiple on-the-ground photos! VIC and NSW both confirmed no lockdowns
NSW Subclass 190 invitations target less popular occupations! This state nomination programme could invite offshore applicants as early as the end of this month!
Latest Subclass 190/491/189/489 grants, backlogs, new lodgements, and key occupations
Australia to continue reopening — 15 December still planned for temporary visa holders! NSW Subclass 190 new invitations: QS/teachers
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Latest news on border reopening and Subclass 485 new policy!Click ‘Original Link’to watch the video for a detailed explanation!
