Read all about it ....... Migration shake-up !

Hi All

I warned you last month big changes were on the way and here they are, and boy are they big .......... don't shoot the messenger !!

Migration shake-up

Earlier this week the Federal Government announced a revamp of the skills migration program, which will see the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) phased out and a shift from occupation-based employment to a focus on specialist skills.

Under the plan, MODL will be replaced by mid-2010 with the new Skilled Occupations List (SOL), which will focus on high value professions and trades. The list will be reviewed on an annual basis, but Immigration Minister Senator Chris Evans said changes and updates will be minimal, thus removing the volatility of MODL, where occupations were added and removed regularly.

The SOL will be maintained by independent statutory body Skills Australia, which was set up as part of the Skilling Australia policy in 2008.

The changes have been met with mixed reviews. Some industry sectors - such as education - will be hard hit as service providers currently providing courses catering to professions on the MODL will be made redundant.

In addition, the tourism and hospitality sectors could face serious vocational labour shortages in 2010 as a result of the changes Education and training provider Hostec International has called for clarity around the changes. According to Hostec, while abolishing MODL will make it harder for fraudulent educators to operate in Australia, the staggered SOL review will make it harder for international students to make informed decisions on vocational courses that the tourism and hospitality sectors rely on for skilled, workplace-ready graduates.

"While we welcome the Government's decision to tighten the international education sector through such mechanisms as the abolishment of MODL, the lack of clarity in changes to the SOL will make Australia less attractive for students. We've already seen increasing numbers of students considering the US and UK ahead of Australia due to confusion over education and immigration policy," said Hostec International managing director, Raman Nambiar.

"The reality is that many of the jobs on the SOL are there because there are relatively fewer Australians keen to take them up. The tourism and hospitality sector relies on international students who have gone through high quality vocational training; without them, many would not be able to stay in business.

"We've already seen undeniable indications of significant skills shortages across the tourism and hospitality sector by mid-2010. How long these shortages last will depend on how quickly the Australian Government can clarify any changes to the SOL, and how effective they are in communicating the clear pathways to studying in Australia to international students and their agents."

As one of Australia's leading providers of hospitality and tourism industry education, Hostec International is actively seeking clarification on the changes. With rapid guidance, it maintains it will be able to continue attracting students and in turn, continue to provide top-quality candidates.

"Our vocational courses set industry benchmarks for completion and post-graduate employment rates. Demand for our graduates is only getting stronger, and we hope the revised Skilled Occupation List reflects this," Nambiar said.

With the new list of skills to be unveiled in April, it remains unclear if occupations relied on by the hospitality industry - such as culinary vocations - will be deemed priorities. If not, vocational students and immigrant hospitality professionals will need to seek sponsorship from an employer in order to secure residency - and address the growing need for skilled vocational labour in this industry.

"We're working with industry and Government to identify ways for the tourism and hospitality sectors to navigate the changes ahead of the unveiling of the revised SOL in late April. Until then, however, we're suggesting that our industry partners review their hiring strategies and consider how to proceed in the event hospitality is not granted preference," Nambiar said.

Until next time or come and join us at the next Skypecast (online) each Sunday.

Use the link and Search for : Australian Immigration & Recruitment

Kind regards
Chris
http://www.oz-migration.com.au/