As Australia faces an ongoing shortage of skilled workers, experts are raising questions about the most effective approaches to address the country’s labour crisis. Among the top 10 jobs most in demand over the next five years, nurses have emerged as an essential profession, according to the federal government’s recently released Skill Priority List.
The government’s Skill Priority List was revealed ahead of the upcoming jobs and skills summit scheduled for 1st and 2nd September in Canberra. The summit aims to address the current labour shortages and bring together unions, business groups, and representatives from the vocational education and training (VET) sector.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese highlighted the importance of the two-day conference in delivering immediate action on the skills shortages faced by Australia. “We need to look at how we can bridge the gaps in demand for skilled workers,” he said.
Australia has historically relied on both training domestic workers and employing skilled migrants to fill gaps in various industries, depending on the supply and demand factors. The government’s current permanent migration program for 2022-23 is capped at 160,000 places, with a focus on prioritizing skilled workers. In the previous year, the migration cap was similarly set at 160,000, with nearly half of the migrants falling under the skilled category and the remainder as family migrants.
However, as industries continue to struggle with staff shortages, there are growing calls from business lobby groups and unions to raise the migration cap to 200,000 over the next two years. This move is seen as a means to alleviate shortfalls in many workplaces and to ensure critical sectors, like healthcare, can access the skilled workforce they require.
Nursing, in particular, has emerged as a pivotal profession that Australia seeks to bolster through skilled migration. With the increasing demand for healthcare services, nurses play an integral role in the country’s healthcare system. By prioritizing skilled migration, the government aims to ensure an adequate supply of nurses and address the pressing needs of healthcare institutions across the nation.
The upcoming summit in September will provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss the best strategies to overcome labour shortages and chart a path forward for the Australian workforce. As the nation grapples with an ever-evolving job market, the focus on professions like nursing and the need to attract skilled workers through migration will remain at the forefront of policy discussions.
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