As the demand for skilled workers grows, many overseas-trained professionals struggle to have their qualifications and skills recognised. Activate Australia’s Skills (AAS), an alliance of businesses, unions, social services, and community organisations, is working to reform the skills recognition system. They aim to address the barriers preventing skilled migrants from contributing fully to Australia’s workforce and ensure the recognition system is efficient, fair, and fit for purpose. As the demand for skilled workers grows, many overseas-trained professionals struggle to have their qualifications and skills recognised.
Why AAS Believes Reform is Urgently Needed
While industries and businesses work hard to innovate and develop solutions to this crisis, they cannot do it alone. The Federal Government has a crucial role in reforming the end-to-end system of overseas qualifications recognition for both migration and employment purposes. AAS claims that national leadership is essential to creating a streamlined process that benefits both employers and skilled migrants, ensuring Australia has the workforce it needs to grow and thrive.
The Four Key Policy Reforms
AAS is advocating for four key policy reforms that aim to overhaul the existing system and provide immediate solutions to address skills shortages. These reforms, designed to work together as part of a cohesive national strategy, include the following:
- Establish a National Governance System
The first step toward an effective and accountable system is the establishment of a national governance body to oversee the recognition of overseas skills and qualifications. This body would be responsible for ensuring consistency, fairness, and transparency in the process. Key elements of the governance system would include:
- An Ombudsman with regulatory powers to provide independent oversight, assess complaints and appeals, and conduct reviews on pricing, timeliness, and the quality of assessments.
- Tripartite oversight from government, industry, and unions, ensuring continual improvements in the recognition process.
- Create a Seamless Process Across Migration and Employment
A major inefficiency in the current system is the lack of coordination between migration and employment pathways. AAS advocates for a seamless process that minimises duplication and reduces red tape. Professional standards and requirements can be maintained while making the process faster and more efficient for skilled migrants and employers alike.
- Remove Cost and Access Barriers
High costs and lack of clear information often prevent migrants from navigating the skills recognition process. To address this, the campaign calls for:
- Means-tested financial support to remove the cost barriers preventing individuals from going through the qualifications recognition process.
- A national online portal to provide integrated, easy-to-understand information on how to get skills and qualifications recognised across different states, territories, and professions. This portal would also offer referrals to services that provide support.
- Establish Migrant Employment Pathways Hubs
In areas with high migrant populations, AAS claims propose that specialist employment hubs would be established to help overseas-trained professionals gain recognition and find employment in their fields. These hubs would feature:
- Skills recognition navigators who offer personalised advice and support to migrants navigating the complex recognition process.
- Co-located employment services, providing wrap-around support to help skilled migrants find jobs in line with their qualifications. These services would be available not only to the unemployed but also to those working below their skill level.
A National Approach for a National Issue
AAS maintains that these four reforms are crucial for creating a more accountable, accessible, and efficient system. Implementing them together would address immediate issues while laying the groundwork for long-term solutions to Australia’s skills shortage. By removing the barriers that prevent skilled migrants from fully participating in the workforce, these reforms would help industries, businesses, and communities thrive. With national coordination and collaboration between government, industry, and unions, AAS believes that Australia can build a skilled workforce that meets the demands of the future economy.