Immigration to Australia Tightened to Save Jobs

A GROWING jobs shortage and rising unemployment figures in Australia have forced the Rudd Government to start closing the gate on foreign workers.

Jobs vacancies for skilled workers have plunged 50 per cent in Queensland as demand for professionals and tradespeople dries up and mining giants slash staff.

Nearly 550 Queensland miners were axed on Tuesday and up to $30 billion in planned mining developments are in doubt because of the sudden downturn in world demand for the state's coal.

In response, the Federal Government has moved to tighten immigration laws to protect Australian Jobs. This will involve the Government making it harder for skilled foreign workers to come to Australia, but fast-tracking those who meet critical shortfalls. Immigration Minister Chris Evans said the revised program would start in January and would better target the workers Australia needed."In light of changing economic circumstances, the Rudd Government has reviewed the skilled migration program and consulted with business and industry along with state and territory governments Australia-wide about their skills need," Senator Evans said. "There were concerns that the permanent skilled migration program was not delivering the right skills to the right areas and there was an increasing use of the temporary skilled migration program by employees to meet their needs."

The 133,500 skilled migrants applying to work in Australia will now be required to have a job – sponsored by an employer or by a state government – before they arrive or meet a critical skills list, including medical, engineering and construction.The move to save jobs for Australians comes as Treasurer Wayne Swan hit out at a bookmaker who offered $1.12 odds on Australia plunging into recession. "I think that sort of talk is utterly irresponsible," Mr Swan said. "What the Australian Government is doing in the face of the global financial crisis is everything we possibly can to strengthen our economy and to protect jobs in that environment."

On top of the mining job cuts in the Bowen Basin and northwest Queensland, it yesterday emerged about 80 staff at the Brisbane headquarters of collapsed childcare giant ABC Learning Centres had been sacked. The losses add to about 100 jobs tipped to go from ABC childcare centres next month.

The Employment Department's job index for skilled workers plunged by more than 50 per cent in Queensland in the past year, the second biggest decrease after NSW. Nationally, skilled vacancies have dropped by nearly 38 per cent as the financial crisis hit the broader economy. The biggest drop was for printing trades, which were down by 24.2 per cent, followed by metal trades at 15.8 per cent and wood trades at 14.1 per cent. The only occupation on the rise was medical and science technical officers, which rose by 0.8 per cent. The grim economic news follows moves by the US Federal Reserve to reduce interest rates virtually to zero to stimulate the economy out of recession. Professor of economic policy at Curtin University's Graduate School of Business Peter Kenyon said the resource sector would feel more pain in the short term.

Source: www.news.com.au/

Expansion of Scheme to Help Skilled migrants

QUEENSLAND will join a scheme to fast-track foreign technology graduates into Australian workplaces and help them gain permanent residency.

The one-year Information, Communication and Technology Professional Year program (PYear) was launched in May by federal education and immigration agencies in conjunction with the Australian Computer Society.

The program enables up to 10 points to be awarded under the general skilled migration points test. Brisbane North Institute of TAFE and Central Queensland University are the first education providers in the state to offer the PYear program, with the first intake due in November.The program is also offered in Victoria, NSW and the ACT, and plans are under way to extend it to Western Australia and South Australia.

Brisbane North TAFE business development manager Jenny Salonen said there had been strong interest among graduates from countries such as India. "The idea of the program is to make graduates more work-ready, so a lot of the classes are about Australian workplace culture, and it helps them with their English language, as well as providing an internship for 16 weeks," Ms Salonen said.

To qualify, students must have spent at least two years studying in Australia for a technology degree. They will qualify for ACS student membership.

The PYear Program is offered by five other education providers: Victoria's Swinburne and Monash universities, Navitas, Education Centre Australia and Canberra Institute of Technology.Monash University's Professional Program has had three intakes since May 2008 and another three are expected by the end of the year. Swinburne University, Navitas, Education Centre Australia and CIT will begin PYear intakes this month.

"It fast-tracks people into the industry," Ms Salonen said. "It is not only graduates who need this, there are skilled migrants who have come to Australia and been under-employed because they haven't been able to transition into the workplace."

Brisbane North TAFE is expecting about 20 people at each enrolment, with four intakes planned each year.ACS chief executive Kim Denham said the PYear program was designed to help minimise the skills gap and increase the skills and number of technology professionals in Australia. "We hope that after a successful year of the program, and as more students learn about the benefits of it, the numbers of students and education providers participating will increase in 2009," Ms Denham said.It is expected that by the end of 2009, 200 participants will have graduated from the program.

The ACS recently released the ICT Skills Forecasting Report, which highlights an expected growth in skills shortages to 14,000 by 2010 and 25,000 by 2020.
The PYear program is also available to domestic graduates who wish to improve their work-readiness. "Ultimately, we would like to have at least one education provider in each state offering the program so students across Australia have the opportunity to participate in it," Ms Denham said.

By: Jennifer Foreshew
Source: www.australianit.news.com.au/

Australia to Raise Salary for Migrant Workers

The Australian government says it will increase the salary and conditions of temporary skilled migrants.

The Australian immigration department says there was a 27 per cent increase in the number of foreign workers last year on the skilled migrant, or 457 visa, program.

Immigration minister Chris Evans says the government will be introducing measures to increase protection for these workers.

The plan includes expanded powers to monitor and investigate employers, and a new framework of penalties for sponsors found in breach of their obligations.

Senator Evans says from August 1 minimum salaries for 457 visa holders will increase by 3.8 per cent, the first pay rise in more than two years.

A number of cases of exploitation of temporary skilled workers have been made public over the past year, although the minister says these are isolated incidents.

Source: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/

Student Visa Assessment Levels Changed

Media Release – 3 September 2008

Improved compliance by international students studying in Australia has prompted an easing of student visa assessment levels for 43 countries in one or more education sectors.

Strong growth in the student visa program with 278 000 visas granted to international students in 2007-08 – an increase of 22 per cent on 2006-07 – combined with the improving visa compliance of many international students, are positive signs for Australia’s international education industry.

Of the 43 nations, more than half (23) including Brazil, Botswana, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, South Africa and Thailand, will be reduced to assessment level one in one or more education sectors. This will enable these applicants to join the growing number of students applying for their initial student visa online using the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s (DIAC) eVisa facility.

‘In 2007-08, more than 85 per cent of eligible students applying for their student visa from outside Australia chose to apply for a student eVisa,’ a departmental spokesman said. ‘Assessment levels are an objective, evidence-based method used by the department to determine student visa requirements based on immigration risk.

Read more here: Immigration News by immi.gov.au