❓ Opposition MP questions the rationale behind occupations listed in the state-nominated migration program for international graduates, querying their relevance to WA's skills needs and potential impact on local workers. The Minister defends the program's purpose as attracting top talent to boost the international education sector.
AnsweredQoN 1298Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
JOBS — SKILLED MIGRATION LIST
1298. Hon CHARLES SMITH to the Minister for Education and
Training:
I refer to the minister's
answer on 18 September to question without notice 825, in which the minister
stated that the graduate occupation list state-nominated migration program
aimed to attract the best and brightest international students to study at Western
Australian universities.
(1) Does the
state government consider listed occupations, such as caravan park and camping
ground manager, acupuncturist, dance teacher, finance broker, interior
designer, television journalist and traditional Chinese medicine practitioner,
as examples of the best and brightest?
(2) Can the
minister direct me to comprehensive labour market modelling demonstrating the
critical shortage in WA of workers in the occupations on the list?
(3) Can the
minister direct me to comprehensive modelling showing that incumbent Western Australian
workers will not be adversely affected by the influx of foreign labour?
(4) Why has the
state government been unable to provide an answer about whether government
ministers met with the Australia China Business Council WA to discuss the list?
1298. Hon CHARLES SMITH to the Minister for Education and
Training:
I refer to the minister's
answer on 18 September to question without notice 825, in which the minister
stated that the graduate occupation list state-nominated migration program
aimed to attract the best and brightest international students to study at Western
Australian universities.
(1) Does the
state government consider listed occupations, such as caravan park and camping
ground manager, acupuncturist, dance teacher, finance broker, interior
designer, television journalist and traditional Chinese medicine practitioner,
as examples of the best and brightest?
(2) Can the
minister direct me to comprehensive labour market modelling demonstrating the
critical shortage in WA of workers in the occupations on the list?
(3) Can the
minister direct me to comprehensive modelling showing that incumbent Western Australian
workers will not be adversely affected by the influx of foreign labour?
(4) Why has the
state government been unable to provide an answer about whether government
ministers met with the Australia China Business Council WA to discuss the list?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) The purpose
of the graduate stream of the state-nominated migration program is to support
the growth of the international education sector in Western Australia by
providing a small number of the best and brightest international university
graduates with a pathway to skilled migration. The best and brightest are
selected by a ranking process. As advised in the answer to the member's
previous question without notice 825, priority under the ranking process is
given to those students who have gained the highest level of qualification at a
Western Australian university. There are also other ranking criteria to ensure
that the best and brightest are selected on other attributes, such as work
experience and English language proficiency. The graduate occupation list is
not predicated on the assumption that the best and brightest will be working in
only a small number of occupations.
(2) The graduate
occupation list does not indicate occupations for which there is a shortage of Western
Australian workers, but, rather, provides a range of occupations to attract the
best and the brightest to Western Australia.
(3) As advised to
the member in the answer to question without notice 825, the state-nominated
migration program, under which the graduate stream sits, is a capped program.
This cap is set by the commonwealth government. The cap of 800 for 2018–19
represents only a small fraction of overall employment in Western Australia.
(4) On 20 September
2018, I provided supplementary information to question without notice 825,
advising that no government ministers have met with the Australia China
Business Council WA to discuss the graduate occupation list.
some notice of the question.
(1) The purpose
of the graduate stream of the state-nominated migration program is to support
the growth of the international education sector in Western Australia by
providing a small number of the best and brightest international university
graduates with a pathway to skilled migration. The best and brightest are
selected by a ranking process. As advised in the answer to the member's
previous question without notice 825, priority under the ranking process is
given to those students who have gained the highest level of qualification at a
Western Australian university. There are also other ranking criteria to ensure
that the best and brightest are selected on other attributes, such as work
experience and English language proficiency. The graduate occupation list is
not predicated on the assumption that the best and brightest will be working in
only a small number of occupations.
(2) The graduate
occupation list does not indicate occupations for which there is a shortage of Western
Australian workers, but, rather, provides a range of occupations to attract the
best and the brightest to Western Australia.
(3) As advised to
the member in the answer to question without notice 825, the state-nominated
migration program, under which the graduate stream sits, is a capped program.
This cap is set by the commonwealth government. The cap of 800 for 2018–19
represents only a small fraction of overall employment in Western Australia.
(4) On 20 September
2018, I provided supplementary information to question without notice 825,
advising that no government ministers have met with the Australia China
Business Council WA to discuss the graduate occupation list.
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