Migrants Struggling to Work at Their Skill Level
Many skilled migrants in Australia, like Antonio Michelle, a former trauma physiotherapist from Chile, are forced to work in low-skilled jobs, despite their qualifications. Antonio, after 10 years of experience in his field, now finds himself sweeping floors in construction sites. A new alliance of 50 business groups and unions is urging the government to reform skills recognition schemes to address this issue.
Research reveals that 44% of skilled migrants work below their abilities, with two-thirds of them coming through the federal skilled migration program. The construction industry, which is short nearly 1 million workers, is one of the hardest hit. While the government has committed $1.8 million to streamline skills assessments for construction workers, regulatory bottlenecks and inconsistent licensing requirements across states hinder progress.
The alliance is calling for the appointment of an ombudsman to oversee the registration process for overseas workers, cut red tape, and ensure skilled migrants are matched with appropriate jobs. With a third of occupations in Australia facing workforce shortages, businesses believe that skilled migrants are essential to filling these gaps.
Source ABC