The Outcomes of Job and Skill Summit 2022-23 For Australian Migration

Australian Government’s “Job and Skills Submit 2022” which was held on 1-2 September 2022, Canberra, agreed on creating jobs and distributing skills to reinvigorate the Australian economy.

The government will take forward initiatives to find ways to build a better workforce and create more opportunities.

The government aims for full employment, productivity growth, and equal opportunities for women.

The government wants to improve the lives of all Australians by making it so that they have access to jobs, regardless of their background.

Migration Initiatives

The agreed migration initiatives resulting the Summit included a range of immediate actions, areas of further work, and complementary existing commitments to address skills shortages and strengthen the migration system. The immediate actions include:

• Increasing the permanent Migration Program planning level to 195,000 in 2022-23 to help ease widespread, critical skills shortages
• Providing $36.1 million in additional funding to accelerate visa processing and resolve the visa backlog
• Increasing the duration of post study work rights by allowing two additional years of stay for recent graduates with select degrees in areas of verified skills shortages to strengthen the pipeline of skilled labour in Australia, informed by advice from a working group
• Extending the relaxation of work restrictions for student and training visa holders until 30 June 2023 to help ease skills and labour shortages
• Widening the remit of the National Housing Infrastructure Facility, making up to $575 million available to invest in social and affordable housing. The funding can be used to partner with other tiers of government and social housing providers, and to attract private capital including from superannuation funds.

The future of the workforce will be explored in great detail over the next year. Ideas and suggestions raised by the panellists will be explored further, as part of a White Paper.

The government will release the criteria for their paper and invites submissions to be able to facilitate new legislation.

The  government will continue to maintain a spirit of cooperation and collaboration for the foreseeable future.