Former Victorian Police Commissioner Christine Nixon’s Rapid Review of the migration system contains a number of recommendations focussed on the private VET sector, but there is another issue she raises which has broader implications for international education. She suggests government “consider whether Australia’s studying and training visas are being used to support a need for low skilled workers.”
The broader Migration Review led by Dr Martin Parkinson also looked at both skilled migration and international education and weighed the relationship between them.
Within the international education sector – we sometimes speak out on broader skilled migration issues and yet at other times we remain silent.
Two examples indicate why, ahead of the government’s reforms to the migration system being announced later this year, the international education sector needs to work out if it wants a broader voice or if instead, it is going to ‘stay in its lane’?
Firstly – the need for more workers in the aged care sector. One media report of ‘shonky courses’ for students coming to Australia to work has triggered a strong response from the international education sector.
But there is no evidence of any changes being made to student visas or CRICOS courses for aged care.
Instead, it appears the story was a misrepresentation of the PALM scheme – whereby some Pacific workers recruited to work in aged care do not hold relevant qualifications prior to arrival in Australia but are provided with training opportunities by their employers to gain formal qualifications (like a domestic student undertaking a traineeship).
Surely attracting more aged care workers and upskilling them (albeit outside the international education sector) is a good thing?
On the other hand, as Koala News’ editor, Dirk Mulder raised in a recent interview, how does Australia have occupations on the Skilled Occupation List which have been listed for more than a decade?
The Minister for Home Affairs has indicated upcoming reforms will make it easier for “high value” students to stay on in Australia after they graduate, which is welcome – but why does the international education sector not ask why these courses and professions are not more popular with domestic students?
Why is Australia so reliant on international students for some occupations?
International education has a crucial role to play in helping address skill shortages, but the sector needs to work out if it wants to offer informed comments on skilled migration issues or instead, if it will keep its focus on international education – our students and their well-being?
Claire Field is a consultant and advisor to the tertiary education sector. She is also a member of the Australian government’s PALM Advisory Group and the host of the ‘What now? What next?’ podcast where she recently interviewed Dirk Mulder.
