Read Time:2 Minute, 6 Second
The new PMSOL has caused quite a stir in the tech community after cutting ICT jobs from the list.
The ICT sector has raised concerns that some of the most in-demand skills, like software engineering and ICT security specialist, have been pulled from the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List. This could mean it’ll take more work for companies to find the talent they need to grow and innovate.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil issued a ministerial directive this week to remove 27 occupations from the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL).
The list, developed in response to input from the National Skills Commission and Commonwealth experts, lists jobs required to “meet important skills shortages to support Australia’s economic recovery from COVID-19.”
However, the influential Tech Council of Australia, whose CEO Kate Pounder said the employment of cybersecurity professionals — a critical job given recent data breaches at Optus and Medibank — can still take months under the present system.
Pounder had previously lauded budget pledges aimed at bolstering IT paths. “Skill shortages in tech and cyber roles are impacting businesses across the economy,” Pounder emphasised.
“To get the most from this investment, we need quick action to improve the skilled migration system, including prioritising critical tech skills, such as cybersecurity, in visa processing and improving pathways to permanent residency,” she added.
Priority visa processing is available to applicants sponsored by an Australian employer whose jobs match those on the PMSOL. The 44-occupation PMSOL reflects the local tech sector’s talent scarcity, with Analyst Programmers, Developer Programmers, Software engineers, Software and Applications Programmers, and ICT Security specialists all being prioritised.
The report comes after the federal government revealed a significant funding boost to the nation’s visa processing apparatus, designed to clear the backlog of applications that grew through Australia’s closed-border period.
Labor’s federal budget for 2022-23 includes $42.2 million for accelerating visa processing capacity and advertising possibilities for highly skilled workers. The administration also increased the year’s permanent migration ceiling from 160,000 to 195,000.
O’Neil told the paper that the decision to cut 27 positions from the PMSOL was an extension of this plan. She added that all other visa applications would benefit by prioritising education and healthcare occupations.
The PMSOL list is still in its consultation phase, so there’s still time for the government to make changes. But if the final list doesn’t include some of the most in-demand tech skills, it could be a significant setback for Australia’s tech sector.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0
