The government has released its new list of occupations eligible for temporary skilled migration to Australia, prompting mixed reaction from industry groups.
The Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), published on Tuesday, covers 456 jobs, including in the construction, agriculture, cyber security, health and education sectors — from carpenters and bricklayers, to psychologists, private tutors, software engineers, bakers and beauty therapists.
The list is designed to attract skilled migrants "who will make a significant contribution to the Australian economy", the government says, in positions where the country is facing local shortages.
"The government is determined to tackle the skills shortage, especially in the construction sector," Immigration Minister Tony Burke said.
"This is an important step to attract qualified workers to help build more homes."
Also included on the CSOL are stonemasons, joiners, painters, floor finishers and electricians, among others.
The CSOL is based on labour market analysis and consultation undertaken by government agency Jobs and Skills Australia.
It's one step the government has taken following the release of its Migration Strategy last December to reform the country's migration system, including to replace "complex, out of date and inflexible occupation lists" in the temporary skilled visa program.
The list will apply to the Core Skills stream of a new Skills in Demand visa, which will replace the Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) on 7 December.
More details on this visa are expected shortly, according to the Department of Home Affairs website.
The CSOL will also apply to the Direct Entry stream of the permanent Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa.
Mixed reactions as some occupations are left off the list
It follows the release of a draft list of priority skills earlier this year, which attracted criticism from the building and trade industry.
In June, Master Builders Australia (MBA) chief executive said she was "flummoxed" by the proposal, which should include more trades, particularly as Australia struggled with a housing shortage.
Following the release on Tuesday, MBA said the building and construction industry were left "scratching their heads" as to why key machinery operator roles had not made the list.
"Master Builders is pleased that some of our concerns were heard with the inclusion of key trades like brickies, plumbers and tilers," Wawn said.
"However, we remain dismayed that in the middle of a housing crisis and chronic labour shortages, key roles in the industry have been left off the list.
"You can’t build a house, schools, hospitals or roads without crane, bulldozer and excavator operators, who have not made the cut."
Property Council chief executive Mike Zorbas said the reworked occupations list, alongside the government’s emphasis on more TAFE training, can help close the skills shortage in the construction industry.
However, Australia's peak body for restaurants, cafes and caterers, Restaurant & Catering Australia, said it was concerned about the removal of key hospitality staff from the list.
"The Australian government has not gone far enough to include key staff for restaurants and cafes, with managers, waiters and baristas being removed," R&CA chief executive Suresh Manickam said.
"Our industry prides itself on service, and its hard to provide service when you don’t have staff."
Meanwhile, the Business Council of Australia welcomed the CSOL which it said will help address skills shortages across the economy.
Chief executive Bran Black said addressing the skills crisis requires appropriate training settings for Australian workers and ensuring migration settings are set up to fill gaps.
"We always want to see Australians obtain the right skills to access job opportunities in growing and new sectors but right now we have significant workforce shortages and the changes announced today will help fill gaps."
Citing Jobs and Skills Australia, MBA said all 15 building and construction key occupation groups are in shortage at a national or state/territory level.
"The evidence speaks for itself – all building and construction industry occupation groups remain in shortage and should be on the list," Wawn said.
