The challenge of skilled migration lies in the distinction between off-shore and on-shore workers, writes Assyl Haidar.

As Australia moves deeper into the global recruitment of workers, it is more important than ever that we analyse what the data is telling us about how skilled migration is progressing in this country.

The recent How are skilled migrants doing? report commissioned by Monash University showed that a certain percentage of skilled migrants were struggling to find employment in Australia, a statistic which peaked LIVE IN australia.com's interest as to how and why this was happening.

What we have investigated more thoroughly and concluded as a consequence, is the distinction that needs to be made between off-shore and on-shore skilled migrants. The 'off-shore' skilled migrant is recruited outside Australia and must come to our shores with a solid track record of skills and experience, and for this reason is usually above 30 years of age.  The 'on-shore' skilled migrant has been studying and living in Australia and is usually fresh out of university, and is therefore younger and has less experience both in life and business.

Short, medium and long-term benefits
With many permanent visa applications coming from on-shore applicants who are university graduates, the Monash report as well as LIVE IN australia.com's own findings show that off-shore migrants have more to offer Australian business in the short-term in terms of skills and experience and are therefore finding employment more readily.  

However, unlike the Monash Report which calls for a halt to the total skilled migration intake, our opinion is that on-shore migrants are critical to Australia in the medium term and represent the future talent and productive capacity of the future Australian economy. While they are struggling in the short-term to adjust to finding work in Australia, it is this group that must be further supported and trained in the more practical skills of business and communication, understanding the expectation of business, and if required improving language skills to the point where they can work successfully in a commercial environment.

As is well-known to Human Capital readers, employers take many factors into consideration in regard to an individual's hire-ability. Level of experience, candidate personality, and the rapport between employer and employee during a job interview are real issues that influence decision-making. With their qualification in hand, we believe it is in these softer areas that on-shore skilled migrants need to be nurtured.

In regards to the language issue, it may be surprising to know that almost 80% of the world's English-speaking population are not native English speakers. The expectation amongst Australian employers therefore that workers should speak fluent English will change over time.

From a management perspective, Australian employers will start realising that as a growing number of candidates for Australian jobs speak English as a second language, the business itself may need to become proactive in grooming non-native English speaking applicants, particularly on-shore migrants, who have the talent and the enthusiasm to make a contribution but need a more comprehensive induction into the business. 

Productivity at stake
The real issue at stake is our nation's productivity over the next 50 years because that's the scope of the challenge we're talking about when it comes to maintaining Australia's place in the global economy.
 
With the Australian population in 2007 making its largest single year increase in more than 20 years to just over 21 million, in part due to the entry of skilled migrants, Australia is bolstering its permanent supply of skilled labour just in time.

Statistics show that Australia's aging demographic combined with lower fertility rates mean that our working population is going to start shrinking rapidly over the next 10 years and beyond, and at its current level will be insufficient to maintain and grow the productivity of the nation. 

This explains the Rudd Government's unwavering commitment to skilled migration and its significant 30% increase in permanent resident skilled migrant places to 133,500 for 2008-09.  This further underlines the need for employers in general to start factoring in on-shore and off-shore workers as an essential component of Australia's long-term workplace strategy.

Workplace integration
The issue of ensuring that skilled migrants are successfully integrated into the workplace is the next challenge and in this regard the Monash report serves as a litmus test for how this integration is proceeding. From this perspective, what the report highlights is the importance of induction strategies in helping overseas workers adjust to the Australian workplace.

Fortunately, some enterprising Australian educational institutions are leading the way. For example, Monash Professional (wholly owned by Monash University) has just announced the rollout of IT, accounting, and engineering courses called 'The Professional Year' during 2008.  The course will focus on training young (on-shore) migrants who are recent Australian graduates and post-graduates.

This is the first course of its kind approved by the Australian Government that provides a bridge to the Australian market via applied work and practical experience over 16 months in order to build on their existing qualification to gain greater skills, knowledge, confidence, and insight before moving into the Australian market.

This is a good example of the training programs on-shore skilled migrants need. These practical business skills, which includes business communication skills, will make integration for overseas workers that much easier.

In regards to off-shore migrants, it's important to encourage employers to look at the skills, talent and experience these people offer and the commitment they have demonstrated by coming to Australia and investing money in establishing their lives here.

In the last 12 months, the United States Department of Immigration has been flooded with 200,000 additional requests for skilled migrant places for the coming year from US employers. This data indicates that Australia can't afford to stand still on skilled migration.  Systems and processes need to be improved as the skilled migrant population continues to grow. As a country, we need to be smart about how we improve the integration of these workers so they can start contributing to the Australian economy sooner rather than later.

Statistics and data analysis such as this report from Monash University is vital to measuring how this process is proceeding, as it enables the country to adjust to this new reality and this new way of thinking about overseas workers and the Australian workplace.

About the author
Assyl Haidar is CEO of LIVE IN australia.com, an online visa preparation and migration advice specialist. For more information, contact Assyl at 03 9691 7777.