"Why should I care?"

This might be your first instinct when it comes to the gaps in the skills assessment process for migrants intending to work in Australia. If you’re reading this, odds are you’ve never had to apply for one, and might not even know where to start.

But for hundreds of thousands of individuals who come to the land Down Under, it’s a painstaking process that spans at least three to four years, if they’re lucky. And while you would think it does not affect you directly, it is projected that by 2050 migrants will be adding $1.6 trillion (yes, with a ‘t’) to Australia’s GDP.

So it would make sense for the country’s overall migration strategy to be formulated in a way that maximises their skills to realise their full economic benefits.

Instead, an ongoing investigation by David and I revealed the skills assessment process is riddled with ambiguity, needless complexity and overlaps leading individuals to opt for ‘wrong’ occupations, or making them unlikely to receive a positive result when managing a small business.

It’s a complex issue with constantly moving parts. And the government recognised that when the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) announced its consultation on new best practice guidelines for skills assessment authorities in September 2023.

The consultation period closed in October that year with the DEWR declaring the new guidelines “will be published in the coming months”.

Considering it’s already been 15 months, we’d wager our next part in this series will be out before they are.

P.S. Have something to add to this story? Please reach out to me at [email protected]

Wishing you a restful weekend,

Mrinaal Datt

Production Editor