The Economic Reform Roundtable bore witness to discussions from participants stressing the need for overseas skills recognition reform to benefit the hundreds of thousands of migrants stuck in jobs well below their qualifications.
The event (held on 19-21 August) featured frank discussions wherein there was a consensus that they must improve the issue surrounding the many qualified migrants working in jobs well below their skill level.
Violet Roumeliotis, CEO of non-profit Settlement Services International (which leads the Activate Australia’s Skills campaign), stated there was agreement on the urgent need to reform skills recognition and that it should be treated as a priority.
“We are delighted that reforms we are pursuing have been discussed at the Economic Reform Roundtable,” Roumeliotis said in a media release from Activate Australia’s Skills.
“These comments show there is broad agreement for making the skills recognition system faster, fairer and more affordable so migrants here in Australia can work in the jobs they were brought to Australia to do. We now need to translate this into action.”
Activate Australia’s Skills’ media release stated there are 620,000 permanent migrants in Australia working below their skill level despite widespread workforce shortages impeding productivity, which they argued is dragging down productivity and holding back our economy.
They identified a key driver of the problem as being the country’s costly system for recognising overseas-acquired skills and qualifications which locks people out of the jobs they’re qualified for through excessive fees, slow and confusing processes, and lack of transparency and accountability.
They submitted four possible solutions to reform skills recognition and boost national productivity that were discussed at the Economic Reform Roundtable, which were:
– Establish one national governance system for all overseas skills and qualifications recognition, including an Ombudsman with regulatory power to provide independent oversight and transparency.
– Create a more joined-up system that links skills recognition for migration purposes with licensing and accreditation for employment purposes.
– Provide financial support for individuals to remove cost barriers and an online portal with all the information so people know what they need to do.
– Set up Migrant Employment Pathway Hubs, or career gateways, with skills recognition navigators to get qualified people working in their professions again.
