Skilled migrants, often hailed as vital contributors to Australia’s workforce, are increasingly finding themselves ensnared in a recruitment quagmire that undervalues their qualifications and experience. This concerning trend, highlighted in a recent study by RMIT University, sheds light on the systemic barriers these individuals face in securing employment commensurate with their skills, raising questions about underlying biases in Australia’s recruitment processes.
Dr. June Tran, a lecturer in Business at RMIT University, underscores the gravity of the situation. The Federal Government’s Migration Strategy, designed to attract skilled professionals to essential roles lacking local talent, seems to falter in its execution. Skilled migrants, despite high workforce participation rates and the potential to spur economic growth, are frequently sidelined in the job market. The resultant scenario is paradoxical: a workforce rich in skill yet confined to roles far beneath their capabilities, while critical positions remain vacant.
The crux of the issue lies in the recruitment barriers skilled migrants encounter. Unreasonable demands for local work experience, a myopic recognition of only local certificates, and a lack of understanding of Australian application nuances like cover letters and selection criteria form a formidable barrier. Compounding this is an apparent bias favouring applicants from Western, English-speaking backgrounds over those from Asian, non-English-speaking countries, despite comparable or lesser experience.
This bias not only undermines the very essence of the Migration Strategy but also forces skilled migrants into a cycle of underemployment. They find themselves driving taxis or making deliveries – roles starkly misaligned with their qualifications. It’s a scenario that Dr. Tran describes as skilled migrants becoming “an army of overqualified delivery and taxi drivers,” a striking image that highlights the misuse of talent.
The repercussions of these practices extend beyond individual migrants. There’s a broader economic and societal impact. The jobs critical to Australia’s growth remain unfilled, perpetuating a cycle of unmet needs and underutilised skills. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data corroborates this, revealing the consistently disappointing employment outcomes for skilled migrants, particularly in their first five years in the country. This period often necessitates a compromise: accepting underemployment or undergoing re-education to align with local standards, a frustrating detour on their professional journey.
While the Government’s Migration Strategy does address some post-arrival challenges, such as accommodation, it glaringly overlooks these systemic employment barriers. This oversight calls for a collaborative reevaluation involving the government, industry stakeholders, and human resources professionals. There’s a pressing need to recalibrate recruitment practices to be more inclusive and fair for skilled migrants.
Dr. Tran, whose research interests lie in international human resource management with a focus on the employment transition and adjustment of skilled migrants, brings a nuanced understanding to these challenges. Her insights, published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources in October 2023, delve into the “Diversity climate: discrimination against skilled migrants in recruitment.”
This study is a clarion call for introspection and action. It highlights the need to dismantle the invisible yet formidable barriers within Australia’s recruitment processes. By doing so, Australia can not only fulfil the objectives of its Migration Strategy but also enrich its workforce with the diverse skills and perspectives that skilled migrants bring. The path forward requires a concerted effort to ensure that skilled migrants are not just welcomed in theory but also embraced in practice, with opportunities that truly reflect their qualifications and experience.
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Skilled #migrants in #Australia face systemic employment barriers, including biased recruitment practices, hindering their access to roles commensurate with their qualifications & experience, warns an RMIT University study. 🌏🇦🇺🛑🤝💼 #TheIndianSunhttps://t.co/ffkfVbaOFZ
— The Indian Sun (@The_Indian_Sun) November 23, 2023
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