Every year the Australian Government’s Department of Education and Training (DE&T) updates the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL). Prior to April 2017 this was known as the Skilled Occupation List (SOL). The current application and composition of this list in relation to engineering occupations is described in the News post of 6th August 2017. The DE&T submits the list to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, who has the final say over which occupations are included or excluded. The DE&T also maintains a separate list of occupations which are ‘flagged’ for potential future removal from the MLTSSL. Until this year, the first criterion for ‘flagging’ an occupation was when there was emerging evidence of excess supply in the labour market. The ‘flagged’ list consisted of occupations in this category identified by DE&T, as well as occupations which were recommended for removal from the SOL by DE&T, but whose removal was rejected by the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. In 2017, the first criterion for ‘flagging’ an occupation changed, so that occupations are now 'flagged' when there is emerging evidence of excess supply in the labour market in the medium-to-long term. This is a nonsensical criterion, as there is no way to accurately determine the labour market supply or demand for an individual occupation in the medium-to-long term, which was most recently defined by DE&T as five-to-ten years into the future. The Minister for Immigration and Border Protection still has the final say on which occupations are included on the MLTSSL, and the ‘flagged’ list still includes occupations which the DE&T has recommended should be removed from the MLTSSL, but whose removal has been rejected by the Minister. The table below shows the recent history of engineering Unit Groups which were flagged for removal from the SOL and, for 2017-18, the MLTSSL. Given the enormous increase in the supply:demand ratio for each of these Unit Groups since 2011-12, they should have been removed from the SOL/MLTSSL years ago. As noted in the News post of 7th May 2017, ‘2333 Electrical Engineers’ has never been flagged, which is an unjustifiable situation given that this Unit Group has been among the most heavily oversupplied for several years. The DE&T’s list of ‘flagged’ occupations for 2017-18 is available at: https://www.education.gov.au/flagged-occupations-MLTSSL Note 1: Only ‘233111 Chemical engineer’ has been flagged for removal.
Note 2: ‘2336 Mining Engineers’ was removed from the SOL for 2016-17. Note 3: ‘2336 Mining Engineers’ was excluded from the MLTSSL for independent and family nominated migrants, and for State and Territory Government nominations. However, this Unit Group was included on the MLTSSL for employer nominations for permanent and temporary visas. Note 4: One occupation in this Unit Group, namely ‘233999 Engineering professionals (not elsewhere classified)’ was excluded from the MLTSSL for independent and family nominated migrants, and for State and Territory Government nominations. However, this occupation was included on the MLTSSL for employer nominations for permanent and temporary visas. Comments are closed.
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November 2018
CategoriesAuthorJim Oakley |