Fraudulent ICT workers slip through net

THERE IS evidence that migrants seeking to work in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector are using fraudulent qualifications to enter the country, according to the Australian Computer Society.

“With permanent skilled migration, this is usually identified in the skills testing process, but since there is no skills testing for employer-sponsored 457 visa holders, people can slip through,” said Dennis Furini, chief executive of the Australian Computer Society.

“Of course there are the obvious language and cultural issues that come from integrating people from different countries, but perhaps a bigger concern in ICT is ensuring that skilled migrants actually have the knowledge and experience they profess.”

He said the ICT sector has always relied on skilled migration to provide access to knowledge and skills that are in short supply in Australia.

He also said it was important to ensure that these skills are not already available within Australia and that people being brought into the country are paid a salary that is at least comparable to Australian rates for that role.

“Since ICT is such a global industry and ICT professionals are highly mobile, HR professionals face the challenge of having to integrate people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures within their ICT department and need to be conscious of cultural differences,” he said.

Since Australia at times may lag other parts of the world in implementing new technologies, he also said it can be beneficial for Australian companies working on a major project to employ someone who has previously worked with that technology overseas.

“This also provides a valuable opportunity for knowledge transfer. For companies wanting to expand overseas or attract projects from international customers, there are also significant potential benefits in having people within their organisation who have knowledge of other markets,” he said.