Hairdressing cut may leave colleges stranded
In a hurry for Down Under |
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6 January, 2009
Tatamagouche – “My entire life is in this bag,” said Kiva-Marie Belt, gently squeezing the last of her chosen belongings into a large pink-purple plaid travel bag.
When her airplane flight leaves Halifax Friday it will mark the beginning of a new exciting adventure as the 21-year-old Tatamagouche woman embarks on a four-year journey in Brisbane, Australia fulfilling a longtime dream to become a physician.
Hurry up and wait best describes how the past few months have challenged her, from the time she received her acceptance letter from the University of Queensland medical school to getting her student loan approved. But she said as each new obstacle presented itself and was overcome, it made her stronger and more determined to succeed.
“A dream is never too big to give up on,” said Belt.
Last May the young woman graduated at the top of her class from St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish with a Bachelor of Science with honours in biology.
While working at Saint Martha’s Hospital in Antigonish as an assistant to the head of the surgery department, she applied for seats in at least seven North American-based medical schools, including Dalhousie University. She soon realized acceptance would be extremely difficult with a waiting list averaging about five years.
Desperately wanting to continue with her education in the field of medicine, she explored international medical training opportunities and the Australian university stood out from others.
“I ended up applying to University of Queensland because they reserved places specifically for international students and their application process was quick, so I would know one way or the other if I was accepted without spending years on a waiting list,” she said.
When she finally received an acceptance letter by e-mail in September, conflicting emotions rushed through her body from elation that she would be able to pursue her dream to terror of being uprooted from her home and separated from her family.
The next few weeks were full of turmoil as she repeatedly applied for student loans to cover the $37,000 annual tuition fee, being denied at every turn.
“As much as it was good news being accepted, getting a student loan in the midst of a global credit crisis seemed impossible,” she said.
The first financial aid to come through for her was a $20,000 student loan from a combined federal and provincial program offering a 20 per cent non-repayable portion.
By Dec. 23 Belt felt she had exhausted nearly every other avenue to pay for her schooling and was ready to turn in her allocation at the university when she met with a Royal Bank of Canada officer asking to review her previously denied application. She was shocked when it was approved on the spot.
“I said ‘Oh, that’s wonderful. This is the best Christmas present I could have ever received,’” Belt said.
The past few weeks have been a flurry of activity as she prepares for her journey, getting medical examines, a student visa, booking airline tickets, packing and leaving her job. Now her top priority now is saying goodbye to friends and family at home.
“This is the first time I’ve ever lived this far away from my family and it will be the first time I’ve lived in a city,” she said. “It will be a wonderful adventure.”
When her medical education in the foreign continent begins with her first class on Jan. 14 her thoughts will be of returning home to Nova Scotia where she is aiming to practise medicine once her training there is complete.
- Sherry Martell, Daily News
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Exodus as workers swap downturn for Down Under |
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5 January, 2009
A NEW wave of emigration among Ireland's young people has begun in the first week of 2009, as Irish travel agencies were swamped with hundreds of one-way bookings.
The exodus is across the board -- from construction workers to architects, as one travel agent put it.
As Ireland battens down the hatches for the toughest year in a quarter of a century, professionals and skilled workers are leading the massive migration.
In the past two months, Trailfinders, one of Ireland's leading travel specialists, has noted a 25 per cent increase in bookings to Australia, with visa applications up 35 per cent on last year. Dave Hayeems, general manager at Trailfinders, says the company has noted a dramatic turnaround in the nature of bookings in comparison to January 2008.
"Last year we had a lot of 30- to 40-year-olds booking high-spend holidays where they would be staying in luxury resorts and paying for it with their SSIA money or other savings. But now the trend has shifted towards skilled labourers and professionals in the 20 to 29 age bracket and Australia seems to be the dominant destination."
Mr Hayeems explained how flights to Australia are almost completely booked up for the first half of January.
"Bookings up until January 11 and 12 are very busy. There's a lot of talk about emigration, and we've had brickies and architects and everyone in between enquiring about flights.
"Only this morning staff were telling me how a significant number of workers from one particular Irish bank had been in contact to say that they were taking a year or two sabbatical and enquiring about round-the-world trips. So it's mainly professionals and tradesmen and people with skills who are travelling."
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has reported that emigration is at its highest level for nearly 20 years, with 45,300 workers leaving the country in the year to April 2008. The majority of these (11,300) have left for Australia and New Zealand.
As the Trailfinders manager explains: "Australia provides a core market for us so we are usually busy booking flights for that destination all year round. But recently staff at our visa desk have reported that every other caller is enquiring about visas to work there."
Engineers, social workers and interior designers are among the latest list of workers being sought by the Australian Government as part of its Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL).
The list is updated twice a year and prospective migrants who have occupations on this list get extra points towards their visa.
- Niamh Horan, Independent.ie
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Government revises skilled migration scheme to focus on key professionals |
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22 December, 2008
OVERSEAS students who use hairdressing and cookery courses as a ticket to permanent residency are being shut out.
As the global economy hits the skids the Government has revised its skilled migration program to focus on medical and key IT professionals, engineers and construction trades.
This could affect tens of thousands of students who use hairdressing, cooking, accountancy and IT to qualify for a permanent visa.
The skills program had been first come, first served.
Immigration and Citizenship Minister Chris Evans said yesterday a revised program for the next six months would fast-track visas for migrants with critically needed skills. People sponsored by employers and state and territory governments would also be favoured.
"This will ensure our migration program is more responsive to the needs of the economy, and assists industries still experiencing skills shortages," Senator Evans said.
"In the current economic climate it is important that priority is given to those applications where the person has skills in critical need."
The immigration intake would remain at a record high of 200,000 this year.
"Employer-sponsored visas (will) occupy an increasing share of the skilled program, with 36,000 visas likely in the current year," he said.
Immigration expert Dr Bob Birrell said increasing numbers of students from South-East Asia, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka had been using cooking, hairdressing and accountancy courses to fast-track permanent entry.
But often they could not find employment in these areas. Their prospects of permanent residency "have been much reduced".
"The program could be cut by at least half if the Government is serious," the Monash University researcher said.
Senator Evans said the existing ceiling of 133,500 skilled migrants would remain. The full critical skills list is expected to be released today.
The crackdown comes amid a sudden contraction in the number of skilled vacancies in Australia, and figures that show demand for skilled workers has slumped by 7.2 per cent this month.
The fall in the skilled vacancy index is the biggest since the 1990 recession.
Demand for tradesmen fell by 9 per cent, marketing and advertising was down 11.5 per cent and metal trades down almost 16 per cent.
The Australian Industry Group welcomed the decision to maintain the current migration intake. "There can be a two-year lag between application and arrival," AIG chief Heather Ridout said.
Cuts could reduce skilled migration just as Australia emerged from the economic crisis.
- Gerard McManus, heraldsun.com.au
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Australia Attracts More UAE Students |
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22 December, 2008
ABU DHABI — The relationship between the UAE and Australia continues to get stronger as more UAE youngsters seek to pursue higher studies abroad, said Dr Saeed Al Shamsi, UAE Ambassador to Australia.
The official was speaking on Thursday at a conference on the relationship between Australia and the Arab World.
The conference was organised by the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research and the National Centre for Excellence for Islamic Studies based in Australia.
“The relationship between Australia and the UAE is not political and neither country mixes trade with politics. This has made Australia an excellent destination for our students. Even though 9/11 changed the way the world looked at the Middle East, Australia became ‘a refuge’ for our people,” he said.
“We also have a programme to send our high-school students there for a few weeks in the summer. They learn to live in a different society in order to become international citizens,” he added.
Ray Najar, Chairman of the Australian-Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry urged the UAE government to put more pressure on the Australian government to make the visa process easier in order to facilitate trade between the two countries.
- Asma Hamid, Khaleej Times
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AFL boss to head new multicultural body |
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18 December, 2008
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has been named as the chairman of the Federal Government's new Multicultural Advisory Council.
Mr Demetriou will head the 16-member council, which also includes representatives from other multicultural organisations and immigrant and business bodies as well as South Australian District Court Judge Rauf Soulio.
The council is being restarted after being allowed to lapse under the Howard government in 2006.
Immigration Minister Chris Evans says there must be a renewed focus on the country's approach to immigration and cultural diversity.
"Australia continues to rely on immigration as one way to address current and future skill shortages. The Government considers Austraia's approach to immigration and cultural diversity to be a national strength," he said.
"The new council will advise the Government on practical approaches to promoting social cohesion, the engagement of migrants in Australian society, overcoming racism and intolerance, and communicating to the public on this complex social policy area."
Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services Laurie Ferguson says the council members reflect community diversity.
"Mr Demetriou brings substantial experience to the council, not only as a prominent sport personality, but also as the chief executive of the Australian Football League," he said.
It will meet for the first time early next year and will meet three times a year.
Mr Demetriou, the son of Cypriot immigrants, played more than 100 games for North Melbourne and has been the head of the AFL since 2003.
The other members of the council are:
- Federation of Ethinic Communities' Council of Australia chair Voula Messimeri
- NSW TAFE Outreach coordinator Nola Randall-Mohk
- Investec Bank chief executive Brian Schwartz
- South Australian District Court Judge Rauf Soulio
- Murdoch University equal opportunity manager Dr Casta Tungaraza
- Tasmanian multicultural liaision officer Inspector Craig Waterhouse
- Centre for Muslim states and societies director Associate Professor Samina Yasmeen
- Hunt and Hunt Asian division director Katie Young
- NSW Treasury senior review officer Susai Benjamin
- Australian Multicultural Foundation executive director Dr Bulent Dellal
- Islamic Women's Welfare Council of Victoria executive director Joumanah El Matrah
- Multicultural Youth South Australia assistant director Carmen Garcia
- Australian-Polish Community Services past president Dr Sylwia Greda-Bogusz
- North Queensland Land Council Native Title Representative Body senior legal officer Rhonda Jacobsen
- Logan and Beenleigh Migrant Resource Centre Gail Ker
- Emma Rodgers, ABC News
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A new fast-track visa for Australia |
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18 December, 2008
MARK COLVIN: The Federal Government has announced changes to the program that brings skilled migrants to Australia.
The Immigration minister Chris Evans says that fast-tracking professionals on the critical skills list will ensure the economy gets the skills it needs now, not just those people who applied first.
The changes will start from the 1st of January.
Senator Evans says the Government will fast track the processing of permanent migration visas where the skilled migrants are sponsored by an employer.
People applying to come to Australia without a sponsor will be given priority if they have an occupation on the government's list of skills in critical shortage.
The minister spoke to Alexandra Kirk a short time ago.
CHRIS EVANS: Well since the Budget a bit earlier in the year clearly the economic forecasts have been revised downwards and it's reasonable to see that the demands for skills in the economy will decline and I've been reviewing employer's needs. Talking to them about their expectations but their very strong message is to continue to run a strong migration program. That there are still skills and a critical shortage but they want the scheme targeted so we bring the right people in to fill the jobs we can't fill locally.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: So will the number of skilled overseas workers coming into Australia decrease?
CHRIS EVANS: No, look I think we'll probably meet the program targets this year, we might come a little under. But what I'm trying to do is make sure first of all that we only get people who are coming in to fill jobs that they're qualified for and they're filling jobs that we can't meet from local workers.
We going to make sure it's much better targeted and prioritising the critical skills we need.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: So people with the wrong skills have been coming in?
CHRIS EVANS: Well at the moment, people are if you like, self-nominating and while they come in order of application across a broad range of skills and what I think we should be doing is recruiting people in priority order for those skills that are in critical need in the medical areas, in the engineering areas etc.
And I think the changes we've announced will allow us to do that and to make sure that in changing economic circumstances we're getting the people we need in a highly targeted way that's responsive to businesses needs and this would also help us with any major infrastructure projects and with any economic growth that occurs over the next couple of years.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: The emphasis here is on people who are applying to come here permanently. In the past two years, there's been a big increase in the number of temporary skilled migrant workers or those coming in under the 457 visa scheme. Will that number be cut?
CHRIS EVANS: Well the 457 is responsive to employer demand. They nominate who comes in. What we know about the permanent migration system is increasingly people are already in the country and under the changes I announced today will see up to about 50 per cent of the permanent migration coming from people already in the country.
That's a good thing because they're already here, they want to stay and they're in a job. So they're a good outcome from a migration program point of view. So as I say, half the people will probably be in the country. What we are doing is regularising their status as permanents and the 457 scheme will continue but we are already seeing a drop off in demand as employers scale-back on their labour needs.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: So what will the net benefit do you think, be?
CHRIS EVANS: Well I think we'll have a much better targeted program. We'll be ensuring that we get the skills into the country that we need. We'll be getting those skills in quicker and in the high priority areas and so it's much more responsive to the economy. It's much more responsive to employers. And make sure that people who are coming into the country are coming into jobs that we can't fill locally.
They won't be coming in in large numbers just looking for a job. Those who are coming in permanently into a pre-arranged job.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: Do you have employer groups onside?
CHRIS EVANS: I think the employers will respond positively to this. It's very much making the system work better for them. They're in a global market for skills and one of their concerns has been that it all takes too long. This will help make us much more responsive to our needs.
MARK COLVIN: The Immigration minister Chris Evans with Alexandra Kirk.
- Alexandra Kirk, ABC
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Migration program gives priority to those with skills most needed |
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18 December, 2008
The Rudd Government will revise the migration program for the second half of 2008-09 so that skilled migrants who have a confirmed job, or have skills in critical need will be given priority for a permanent visa to come to Australia.
In a statement tabled in Parliament today, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, said the changes, effective from 1 January, will ensure that the Skilled Migration program is driven by the requirements of industry and targets skills in critical need across a number of sectors.
'This will ensure our migration program is more responsive to the needs of the economy and assists industries still experiencing skills shortages,' Senator Evans said.
'In light of the changing economic circumstances, the Rudd Government has reviewed the Skilled Migration program and consulted business and industry along with state and territory governments Australia-wide about their skills needs.
'The overwhelming message is that we need to maintain a Skilled Migration program but one that is more targeted.
'There were concerns that the permanent Skilled Migration program was not delivering the right skills to the right areas and there was an increasing use of the temporary skilled migration program (Subclass 457 visa) by employers to meet their needs.
'The existing 133 500 planning target will remain as a ceiling, with the actual number of visas granted to be kept under review for the remainder of 2008-09.
'To meet immediate skills needs, the government will fast-track the processing of sponsored permanent migration visas, where skilled migrants are nominated by employers for jobs that cannot be filled locally.
'This could see employer sponsored visas occupying an increasing share of the skilled program, with 36 000 visas likely in the current year,' the minister said.
Senator Evans said about 80 per cent of employer-sponsored visas are granted to people who were already living and working in Australia on temporary visas. Fast-tracking the grant of these visas will provide greater certainty to employers and increase the number of visas granted onshore.
Where a person has applied to migrate to Australia without an employer sponsor, they will be given priority if they have an occupation on a list of skills in critical shortage.
The list of skills in critical shortage will focus on medical and key IT professionals, engineers and construction trades. The occupations on the critical skills list are the ones most frequently sought by employers through sponsorship.
Under the previous arrangements, more than 10 000 applications from engineers, medical professionals and other skilled migrants were sitting in the queue and may have had to wait more than a year before being considered.
'Fast-tracking professionals on the critical skills list will ensure that the economy gets the skills it needs now, not just those applicants who applied first,' Senator Evans said.
The government has also given state and territory governments’ greater scope to address the critical skill needs in their jurisdiction. This reflects the different economies that have developed across the country.
As a result of these measures, the 2008-09 skilled migration program will be more targeted in delivering the skills needed in the economy, while increasing the number of visas granted to those already in Australia and currently in jobs. While the existing planning target remains in place as a ceiling, the government retains the ability to cap the program below that figure if necessary.
The skilled migration program was significantly increased in the May Budget from 102 500 to 133 500 places to ease nationwide skills shortages.
Senator Evans said a report released earlier in the year by respected economic analyst Access Economics shows that new migrants to Australia deliver hundreds of millions of dollars to the Commonwealth budget and the broader economy every year.
In its Migrant Fiscal Impact Model: 2008 Update, Access Economics found that the fiscal benefits from taxation and visa charges far outweighed the costs that migrants impose on health, education, welfare, employment and settlement services.
'The bottom line is that our migration program is vital to keep the economy growing as well as helping Australian businesses overcome skills shortages,' Senator Evans said.
'It must also be remembered that Australia is facing a demographic shift that will see more people retire than join the workforce, so the permanent skilled migration program provides a stable, effective and targeted source of skilled workers for the future.'
- Senator Chris Evans, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
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Skilled workers needed in Australia |
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17 December, 2008
Cebu City, Philippines - Despite the expected layoff of overseas contract workers brought about by the global economic crisis, there are still work opportunities for Filipinos abroad.
One country with job opportunities for Filipinos is Australia.
Queensland, a province of Australia, needs at least 120,000 skilled laborers by 2010 to fill up the jobs left by the he country's aging population, said Linda Brown, institute director of the Metropolitan South Institute of Technical and Further Education.
“Our community is getting older. We have an aging population. In 2015, there will be more people over 50 (years old) than those under 25 years old,” she told reporters in a recent press conference held at the Laguna Garden cafe.
Brown was among the members of the Queensland, Australia Vocational Education and Training (VET) delegation, who visited Cebu last month to orient government and academe representatives about work and career opportunities available in Australia.
VET export office director Katherine Marnane said various jobs will be available as the Queensland economy has $170 billion worth of investments over the next 18 years.
These projects include transport and freighting, information and communication technology, and industry development.
Marnane also noted workers are needed in the sectors of tourism and hospitality, business, accounting, hairdressing, and health and community services.
To get the necessary workforce, the VET export office has built partnerships with Australia-based education provider and agency, Charlton Brown.
Charlton Brown, in turn, partnered with Integrated Learning (IL) Institute Philippines to provide the necessary training to Filipinos, who are interested to pursue a career in Australia, and later on, reside permanently in the country.
IL Institute president Jerry Perez de Tagle said Filipino students can enroll in three-month long training courses such as elderly care and community services in the Philippines.
“While they are studying, our partner, Charlton Brown, will help process their visa requirements. It will also help place students in jobs once they arrive in Australia,” said de Tagle.
“They will come in with a student visa. In Australia, Filipinos can still continue their studies for two years while earning income from working,” he added.
After two years study, de Tagle said a student will be given a Diploma in Community Service and will be given a professional work visa and can work for another 18 months.
“By then, you will then be eligible for permanent residency. This process could even be done within the fastest period of three and a half years.”
Brown of Metropolitan South TAFE said Australia has a stable economy which shelters them from the effects of the financial crisis.
She noted the proximity of Australia and the Philippines is a factor that should encourage Filipinos to work in Australia aside from the Filipinos fluency in the English language.
- Chris Evert Lato, Cebu Daily News
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Migrants to keep coming |
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16 December, 2008
AUSTRALIA'S record high migrant intakes look likely to continue, with Immigration Minister Chris Evans indicating the global financial crisis would result in only modest cuts to next year's program.
As the fallout from the economic crisis continues to spread, Senator Evans is understood to be sympathetic to fears by business groups that drastic cuts could ruin Australia's image in the global skills marketplace.
The West Australian senator said a small cut to the skilled migrant quota was still "more likely than not", but business groups have been lobbying him to hold his nerve in the face of a deteriorating economy.
"What business has been very clear about is that you shouldn't overreact," Senator Evans said.
"It is a global market, so your reputation and your brand is quite important.
"So certainly a lot of the advice is: don't ruin the brand by knee-jerk reactions, because we're going to be wanting to recruit in these areas, if not this year, then the year after."
Australia's immigration program is at an all-time high following an increase of 31,000 permanent migrants, announced in May.
The increase brought the total number of skilled migrants to 133,500, plus 56,500 family reunion places and 13,500 humanitarian visas.
Overall, Australia is taking more than 200,000 new immigrants a year. The largest jump in permanent settlers occurred under the Howard government.
In 1995-96, the year Mr Howard won government, about 99,000 people settled permanently in Australia. By 2007-08, that number had increased to 150,000.
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Peter Anderson cautioned against bowing to growing calls by the union movement to cut the skilled migration program, including the 457 temporary skilled migration program.
"A downturn of 1-2 per cent is not a proper basis for recalibrating a skilled migration program," Mr Anderson told The Australian.
"It needs to be looked at in the context of emerging gaps in labour market demand. Our caution to the Government is not to jump at shadows or look solely at the macro data."
Mr Anderson said the consequences of a cut would be to place a drag on the productive capacity of the economy at a time when it was most needed.
He said sudden oscillations in the migrant program could damage Australia's reputation as a migrant-friendly country.
Australian Industry Group chief executive Heather Ridout said the lead time with assimilating migrants into the economy was years, not months, meaning impulsive cuts to the quota might not be felt until well after the present crisis had passed.
She said the longer-term outlook for the Australian economy - with an ageing population and a generation of Baby Boomers set to retire - was that migrants would be required en masse.
"We'd be disappointed if there was anything other than a shallow cut," Ms Ridout said. "A deep cut would be about politics, not about policy."
Senator Evans indicated he was alive to the political challenges of assimilating large numbers of migrants at a time of rising unemployment.
"There's no doubt in my view that there's a strong link between the economic cycle and people's attitude towards immigration," he said.
"That's something politicians have to be sensitive to."
- Paul Maley, The Australian
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Hairdressing cut may leave colleges stranded |
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12 December, 2008
HAIRDRESSING and cookery are expected to be removed from the list of occupational skills in short supply in Australia — a move that would affect migration rules and have widespread ramifications for the international education industry.
Thousands of international students who complete courses in hairdressing and cookery can gain extra migration points towards applications for permanent residency because the two trades are currently included on the Migration Occupations in Demand List.
It is widely acknowledged in the international education industry that hairdressing and cookery are popular courses among international students because the extra migration points allow a "fast track" to permanent residency in Australia.
But the impact on training colleges nationwide is expected to be far-reaching, with possible job losses and business failures.
The removal of cookery and hairdressing could result in a significant drop in students seeking to enrol in such courses, leaving TAFE and private training colleges struggling to fill classes.
Colleges that offer hairdressing and cookery courses and only have international students on their books, are likely to be hardest hit as student numbers drop off.
Private training colleges, particularly in Victoria, have boomed in recent years on the back of demand for hairdressing and cookery courses from international students.
For the year to July, national training sector enrolments jumped 44% on the previous year, reflecting the popularity of private training colleges as lucrative businesses thriving on fees from international students.
In Victoria, colleges registered to teach international students cookery and hairdressing far outnumber any other state or territory.
These colleges offer 134 courses in hairdressing and 109 courses in cookery.
Research by Monash University demographer Bob Birrell last year found international student enrolments in cooking and hairdressing nearly tripled between 2004 and 2006.
In response to questions by The Age, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Evans, said: "As has long been the case, the skilled migration program is monitored in light of the economic circumstances at the time. The Government has also been consulting business and industry about their future skills needs," he said.
The Australian Council for Private Education and Training, which represents private training colleges, called on the Government to install appropriate transitional arrangements for students and colleges.
"We've got the risk of job losses and business failure in already difficult times," said council spokesman Andrew Smith.
International education is a $13.9 billion industry in Australia.
- Sushi Das, theage.com.au
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