tag:theconversation.com,2011:/global/topics/skills-shortage-2527/articlesskills shortage – The Conversation2024-02-26T13:09:10Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2238422024-02-26T13:09:10Z2024-02-26T13:09:10ZNHS dentistry is in crisis – are overseas dentists the answer?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576767/original/file-20240220-22-2pedi7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C16%2C2703%2C1760&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/man-yellow-teeth-due-heavy-smoking-448144885">wk1003mike/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Images of a long line of desperate people <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIZJ7pshm0U">queuing around the block</a> in the hope of getting on the list at a new dental practice in Bristol paint a bleak picture of the state of NHS dentistry. </p>
<p>The situation got so desperate that police were called to provide crowd control in a scene more typical of a Taylor Swift concert than a dental waiting room. This unprecedented demand is due to a shortage of dentists in the UK, particularly ones who are willing to work for the NHS.</p>
<p>There may be a record number of dentists on the General Dental Council (GDC) register – <a href="https://www.gdc-uk.org/news-blogs/news/detail/2024/01/15/number-uk-dentists-recent-renewal">over 44,000</a> at the start of 2024 – yet a workforce shortage is still considered a major contributing factor in the lack of dental access in the UK. </p>
<p>Registration figures can be misleading. Although the number of dentists in the UK is increasing, there are <a href="https://www.bda.org/news-and-opinion/news/nhs-dentistry-pm-must-drop-the-spin-and-accept-the-facts/">1,100 fewer doing NHS work than before the pandemic</a>, the lowest since 2012. These figures do not take into consideration changing work patterns within the dental profession, which indicate that younger dentists are working <a href="https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s12913-020-4980-6.pdf">fewer clinical hours and less time within the NHS</a>. </p>
<p>It is worth noting that the UK has lower numbers of dentists per head of population <a href="https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Dentistry-in-England.pdf">compared with</a> many other European countries. The UK has 5.3 dentists per 10,000 of the population compared with 6.5 in France, 8.3 in Italy and 8.5 in Germany.</p>
<p>The shortage of dentists, and other dental care professionals, has finally been recognised by the government, with a <a href="https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/nhs-long-term-workforce-plan-2/">NHS long-term workforce plan</a> setting out clear goals to increase the number of training places for dentists, hygienists and dental therapists. </p>
<p>The government <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/our-plan-to-recover-and-reform-nhs-dentistry/faster-simpler-and-fairer-our-plan-to-recover-and-reform-nhs-dentistry#supporting-and-developing-the-whole-dental-workforce">aims</a> to increase dental training places in the UK by 40% by 2031-32, with 1,100 UK dentists qualifying each year. </p>
<p>Dentistry is a five-year university programme. Following that, graduates need to work for a minimum of one year as a dental foundation trainee before they are allowed to work independently as a general dental practitioner in the NHS. As a result, any increase in training places will take more than a decade to have a significant effect.</p>
<p>The workforce plan will offer little in the way of solace to the millions of people who currently cannot find a dentist. Urgent action is needed to avoid lengthening queues, and the government appears to have identified overseas graduates as a potential answer to their problems. </p>
<p>Thirty per cent of dentists on the GDC register qualified <a href="https://www.gdc-uk.org/about-us/what-we-do/briefing">outside the UK</a>, and in 2022, 46% of new dentists joining the register were <a href="https://www.gdc-uk.org/news-blogs/news/detail/2023/05/18/general-dental-council-publishes-registration-and-fitness-to-practise-statistical-reports">international dental graduates</a>.</p>
<p>The process of obtaining registration for international dental graduates is difficult, expensive and inefficient. It can take several years to pass the necessary exams and obtain UK registration. During that time applicants are unable to work as a dentist. </p>
<p>The situation is compounded by a limited number of examination places each year and <a href="https://www.gdc-uk.org/news-blogs/news/detail/2023/07/31/the-gdc-announces-more-ore-places-and-boosts-the-size-of-the-international-registration-casework-team">a low pass rate</a> for the practical exam (45%). </p>
<p>The GDC has announced an increase in exam capacity, which will allow more dentists to take the <a href="https://www.gdc-uk.org/news-blogs/news/detail/2023/07/31/the-gdc-announces-more-ore-places-and-boosts-the-size-of-the-international-registration-casework-team">overseas registration exams</a>. This is a practical approach to increase capacity while safeguarding standards.</p>
<h2>No need to pass UK exam</h2>
<p>The government has just announced a further development: the introduction of <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/provisional-registration-for-overseas-qualified-dentists/provisional-registration-for-overseas-qualified-dentists">provisional registration</a>, aimed at accelerating the registration process and allowing international dental graduates to work as a dentist without having to pass a UK examination. </p>
<p>This has already caused concern within the dental profession, with some commentators fearful that patient safety will be <a href="https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/2JsSaaVAsHR/">sacrificed</a> in a race to increase dentist numbers and improve NHS access. </p>
<p>This view is clearly not shared by the GDC who have been quick to welcome the introduction of <a href="https://www.gdc-uk.org/news-blogs/news/detail/2024/02/16/we-welcome-the-provisional-registration-changes-and-further-collaboration-with-the-dental-sector-to-create-a-new-system-that-benefits-professionals-and-the-public">provisional registration</a>.</p>
<p>The GDC has a responsibility to ensure that any dental professional joining the dental register has undergone the appropriate training, is capable of providing a high standard of patient care, and is fully aware of their responsibilities as a dental registrant. </p>
<p>The NHS is a complex system, and the current NHS dental contract and regulations are complicated and confusing. UK graduates often struggle to comprehend the nuances of the NHS, and international dental graduates will need support to ensure they are able to integrate into a new system. </p>
<p>Training and mentorship are important considerations. This will be a critical aspect of integrating overseas dentists into the NHS and ensuring the highest standards of care are maintained. This cannot be done without the support of the existing primary care workforce, and consideration must be given to how this is going to be delivered and resourced.</p>
<h2>Patient safety</h2>
<p>International dental graduates are an important part of the solution to the current workforce shortage, and a review of the present registration process was certainly long overdue. There is huge potential to use an overseas workforce more effectively, but we must ensure that patient safety remains paramount.</p>
<p>We must also reflect on the ethical implications of recruiting dentists from another country while considering the fairness and appropriateness of introducing international dental graduates into a widely criticised NHS system. Sustainability and continuity are valuable assets in healthcare, and the creation of a two-tier system delivered by an itinerant workforce must be avoided at all costs.</p>
<p>Simplifying the recruitment of overseas dentists will not save NHS dentistry alone. The problems run much deeper than a simple workforce shortage. There needs to be an honest discussion with the public, the profession and politicians about NHS dentistry. What do we want? What do we need? And what can we afford? There is no merit in recruiting more dentists if there is no commitment to address the reason so many of the workforce are leaving the NHS.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223842/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ian Mills is affiliated with:
Member of British Dental Association
Past Dean of the Faculty of General Dental Practice of Royal College of Surgeons of England
Fellow of College of General Dentistry
</span></em></p>New government proposals include scrapping the exam that overseas dentists usually have to take.Ian Mills, Associate Professor in Primary Care Dentistry, University of PlymouthLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2221262024-01-29T19:05:42Z2024-01-29T19:05:42ZAustralia is welcoming more migrants but they lack the skills to build more houses<p>Australia has an acute shortage of housing. Renters across the country face steep rents rises and <a href="https://sqmresearch.com.au/uploads/15_1_24_National_Vacancy_Rate_December_2023_FINAL.pdf">record-low vacancy rates</a>.</p>
<p>At the same time, net overseas migration has surged to a <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/national-state-and-territory-population/latest-release#national">record high of 518,100</a> in the past financial year as international students, working holiday-makers, and sponsored workers returned to Australia after our international borders reopened and fewer migrants departed.</p>
<p>The trouble is, very few migrants arriving in Australia come with the skills to build the extra homes we need. </p>
<h2>Migrants are back but lack home building expertise</h2>
<p>Migrants are less likely to work in construction than in most other industries. About 32% of Australian workers were foreign born, but only about 24% of workers in building and construction were born overseas. </p>
<p>And very few recent migrants work in construction. Migrants who arrived in Australia less than five years ago account for just 2.8% of the construction workforce, but account for 4.4% of all workers in Australia.</p>
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<p>Most migrants who work in construction in Australia have been here for a long time. The largest migrant groups in construction are permanent skilled migrants (including their spouses and children), followed by New Zealand citizens (who can remain in Australia indefinitely on a temporary visa) and permanent family visa-holders (many of whom arrived in Australia long ago as the spouses of Australian citizens). </p>
<p>But among those migrant groups where we’re now seeing the biggest rebound in numbers – international students, international graduates and working holiday makers – relatively few work in construction. And just 0.5% of all construction workers are on a temporary skilled visa.</p>
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<p>Changing this situation won’t be easy. After all, Australia rightly wants to attract highly skilled migrants who will make the <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/australias-migration-opportunity-how-rethinking-skilled-migration-can-solve-some-of-our-biggest-problems/">biggest long-term contribution</a> to the country.</p>
<p>That means selecting highly skilled migrants – mostly tertiary-trained professionals. However, the construction workforce is one of Australia’s least educated. Just 22% of Australia’s construction workforce hold a diploma-level qualification or higher – the least of any industry. </p>
<h2>What the government should do</h2>
<p>But there are steps the federal government can take to make Australia more attractive to skilled trades workers who can help build the homes we desperately need.</p>
<p>First, the government should make it easier for employers to sponsor skilled trades workers to get a visa. </p>
<p>It should abolish labour-market testing and reduce sponsorship fees for the new <a href="https://www.migrationexpert.com.au/blog/core-skills-pathway-skills-in-demand-visa/">“Core Skills”</a> temporary sponsored visa stream – for skilled workers earning between A$70,000 and A$135,000 a year – to encourage more skilled trades workers to migrate to Australia. </p>
<p>The introduction of labour-market testing and extra fees like the <a href="https://www.dewr.gov.au/skilling-australians-fund-levy">Skilling Australians Fund Levy</a> are big reasons why the number of <a href="https://data.gov.au/dataset/ds-dga-2515b21d-0dba-4810-afd4-ac8dd92e873e/details?q=temporary%5C%20migration">visas granted</a> to temporary sponsored workers in construction has fallen from more than 9,000 in 2011-12 to just 4,021 in 2022-23. </p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-skilled-migration-policy-changed-how-and-where-migrants-settle-215068">Australia's skilled migration policy changed how and where migrants settle</a>
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<p>The government should also extend its new streamlined, high-wage <a href="https://www.migrationexpert.com.au/blog/working-in-australia/specialist-skills-pathway-revealed/">“Specialist Skills Pathway”</a> sponsored visa stream to skilled trades workers. </p>
<p>That pathway will be offered to workers who earn at least $135,000 a year. Visas will be approved in a median time of just seven days. Yet skilled trades workers earning more than $135,000 won’t qualify for the new streamlined pathway. </p>
<p>Second, the government should streamline the skills and occupational licensing process for skilled trades workers. </p>
<p>Currently, overseas qualified tradespeople must have their skills assessed separately to qualify for a skilled visa and to be granted a licence by a state or territory to practise their trade once in Australia. </p>
<p>The recent <a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/reports-and-pubs/files/review-migration-system-final-report.pdf">Parkinson Migration Review</a> showed how that process can cost more than $9,000 for some skilled trades and take up to 18 months. </p>
<p>The Albanese government should work with states and territories to better align these processes. And it should pursue greater mutual recognition of qualifications and licences with other countries for skilled trades, as <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/productivity/report/productivity-volume7-labour-market.pdf">recommended recently</a> by the Productivity Commission. </p>
<p>Migration offers big benefits to Australia. But we’d benefit even more if it provided more of the skilled workers we need to help fix the housing shortage.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-prefab-building-revolution-can-help-resolve-both-the-climate-and-housing-crises-220290">A prefab building revolution can help resolve both the climate and housing crises</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222126/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Grattan Institute began with contributions to its endowment of $15 million from each of the Federal and Victorian Governments, $4 million from BHP Billiton, and $1 million from NAB. In order to safeguard its independence, Grattan Institute's board controls this endowment. The funds are invested and contribute to funding Grattan Institute's activities. Grattan Institute also receives funding from corporates, foundations, and individuals to support its general activities, as disclosed on its website. We would also like to thank the Scanlon Foundation for its generous support of our migration research.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Trent Wiltshire does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Australia needs more housing and is getting more migrants. But we need more of those migrants to be able to help build those houses.Brendan Coates, Program Director, Economic Policy, Grattan InstituteTrent Wiltshire, Deputy Program Director, Migration and Labour Markets, Grattan InstituteLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2177902023-11-16T19:03:34Z2023-11-16T19:03:34ZNZ wants more seasonal workers – but Pacific nations no longer want to be the ‘outposts’ that ‘grow’ them<p>The three party leaders currently negotiating to form New Zealand’s next government might have their differences, but they seem to agree on one thing: the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme needs to expand.</p>
<p>New Zealand, like Australia, faces critical labour shortages in some sectors, with real implications for future economic performance. The RSE scheme, which has delivered thousands of crucial workers in viticulture and horticulture since it began in 2007, is the logical solution.</p>
<p>Incoming prime minister Christopher Luxon has <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/131805911/national-promises-to-double-rse-worker-cap-ban-foreign-investment-in-farmtoforestry-conversions">pledged to double</a> the RSE intake from the current 19,500. ACT’s David Seymour wants the cap on these workers <a href="https://www.act.org.nz/rse-change-too-little-too-late-just-remove-the-cap-completely">lifted completely</a> – emulating the Australian approach. And NZ First is in favour of <a href="https://www.nzfirst.nz/video-winston-peters-on-economy-rse-workers-and-putins-nuclear-threats">recruiting more migrant workers</a> in all fields facing shortages.</p>
<p>But while an increase in RSE workers might benefit New Zealand, the impact on the Pacific nations they come from is becoming hard to ignore. In fact, the schemes risk undermining the very communities and economies they supposedly benefit.</p>
<h2>Intake doubled after COVID</h2>
<p>In the year to June 2023, <a href="https://devpolicy.org/pacific-labour-mobility-over-the-last-year-continued-growth-20230808/">48,000 people</a> left the Pacific to participate in New Zealand’s RSE scheme and Australia’s Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme. This represented almost a <a href="https://devpolicy.org/pacific-labour-mobility-over-the-last-year-continued-growth-20230808/">doubling of visas</a> issued since 2018-19, the last year of recruitment before COVID-19 interrupted things.</p>
<p>Remittance payments from workers in these schemes undoubtedly assisted Pacific countries during the periods of pandemic-related border closures. But the resulting labour shortages in the source countries saw <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/132684414/pacific-to-review-seasonal-work-schemes-to-protect-the-economy">calls for a review</a> of participation in the schemes.</p>
<p>As the table below shows, 20% of the male working-age population in Vanuatu and Tonga were recruited in either the Australian or New Zealand seasonal labour schemes in 2022-23. These are people who will be absent from farms, schools, hospitals, mechanical workshops and other sectors in their home countries for six to nine months of the year.</p>
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<p>A <a href="https://vcci.vu/vanuatu-skills-needs-industry-report-2023-now-available/">recent report from Vanuatu</a> found 60% of enterprises – mostly in trades, retail and restaurants – had been affected by staff losses to RSE and PALM schemes. The tourism sector, in particular, has felt the impact strongly since the PALM scheme expanded to recruit workers beyond the primary sector.</p>
<p>Tourism operators report training staff only to see them leave for more lucrative work on seasonal worker schemes. Taumeasina Island resort in Samoa <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/131112535/pacific-businesses-desperate-for-workers-as-thousands-leave-for-nz-jobs">lost almost 60 workers</a> over the 12 months to February 2023.</p>
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<h2>Not a win-win policy</h2>
<p>The Pacific development policies of both New Zealand and Australia purport to “<a href="https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/aid-and-development/our-approach-to-aid/our-priorities/">strengthen resilience</a>” and “<a href="https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/pacific/development-assistance/development-assistance-in-the-pacific">grow economies</a>”, devoting millions of dollars to various initiatives.</p>
<p>Arguably, the extraction of increasingly large numbers of skilled and semi-skilled workers from important social and economic sectors is systematically undermining these same initiatives.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/labors-proposed-pacific-labour-scheme-reforms-might-be-good-soft-diplomacy-but-will-it-address-worker-exploitation-183119">Labor's proposed Pacific labour scheme reforms might be good soft diplomacy but will it address worker exploitation?</a>
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<p>The aid money cannot fully compensate for the loss of people from their families, communities, businesses and economic sectors for such extended periods. The Archbishop of Fiji <a href="https://www.fijitimes.com/opinion-the-dark-side-of-seasonal-work/?fbclid=IwAR3T0aD3f82jTYHsQzkf5Ve8X3fDm9O-A346pR7EOtpwZhOi_vUVoCQgras">recently spoke</a> about the “dark side of seasonal work”, and it’s clearly no longer tenable to say seasonal labour schemes are the win-win they were originally <a href="https://devpolicy.org/pdf/blog/RSE10thPaper_WhatmanBedfordFinal.pdf">intended to be</a>.</p>
<p>The balance has tipped in favour of the bigger, richer countries. Earlier this year the <a href="https://www.oecd.org/development-cooperation-learning/practices/addressing-policy-trade-offs-new-zealand-s-pacific-regional-labour-mobility-scheme-36f4c676/">OECD reported</a> there is “limited upskilling” of these workers. The anticipated transformative effect on the Pacific private sector has not been seen.</p>
<p>The largest Pacific nation RSE contributors have found this loss of labour is undermining <a href="https://devpolicy.org/pacific-workers-in-rse-scheme-numbers-and-their-implications-20230413/">community development</a> as well as the labour market. When workers leave it puts an <a href="https://devpolicy.org/when-a-family-member-works-overseas-20230330/">extra burden</a> on family and communities.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/underpaid-at-home-vulnerable-abroad-how-seasonal-job-schemes-are-draining-pacific-nations-of-vital-workers-194810">Underpaid at home, vulnerable abroad: how seasonal job schemes are draining Pacific nations of vital workers</a>
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<p>Samoan prime minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa has been <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-31/fiame-samoa-pacific-labour-scheme-australia/102794256">particularly concerned</a> that Pacific countries are perceived as mere “outposts” which “grow” labourers for Australia and New Zealand.</p>
<p>Her sentiments are echoed in Vanuatu, where labour commissioner Murille Maltenoven has <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/475900/vanuatu-concerned-about-labour-drain-from-expanded-rse-scheme">spoken of complaints</a> about the “brain drain” affecting the domestic labour market. And Fiji’s prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka argues the local economy <a href="https://pmn.co.nz/read/politics/fiji-prime-minister-sitiveni-rabuka-calls-for-rethink-of-rse-scheme">should be prioritised</a> over seasonal labour schemes.</p>
<h2>Policy and practice must change</h2>
<p>The criticism has led both <a href="https://www.palmscheme.gov.au/resources/budget-2023-24-reforming-palm-scheme">Australia</a> and <a href="https://www.radiopolynesiasamoa.com/local/nz-govt-undertaking-review-of-the-rse-policy-and-design">New Zealand</a> to review and reform their respective seasonal worker policies. Improvements include more investment in pastoral care and skills training, and greater benefits for employees.</p>
<p>It seems unlikely, however, that this will fully address the growing imbalance between who benefits and who bears the cost of these schemes. Furthermore, with Australia <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-19/labor-expands-pacific-immigration-with-new-visa/102997646">expanding its own residency pathway</a> to match New Zealand’s, even more skilled workers may be enticed to leave their Pacific homelands.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/reaping-what-we-sow-cultural-ignorance-undermines-australias-recruitment-of-pacific-island-workers-197910">Reaping what we sow: cultural ignorance undermines Australia's recruitment of Pacific Island workers</a>
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<p>The Samoan government is tackling the problem head on, <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/498966/samoa-govt-approves-new-labour-mobility-policy">approving a new labour mobility policy</a> in late September. Among other things, it will prioritise those who have been unemployed for more than six months.</p>
<p>This reflects the <a href="https://www.oecd.org/development-cooperation-learning/practices/addressing-policy-trade-offs-new-zealand-s-pacific-regional-labour-mobility-scheme-36f4c676/">OECD position</a> that unskilled workers must be a priority. Otherwise, the schemes will directly undermine human development in Pacific countries.</p>
<p>Other seasoned observers <a href="https://devpolicy.org/pacific-labour-mobility-over-the-last-year-continued-growth-20230808/">have suggested</a> New Zealand and Australia begin recruiting more workers from Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, rather than further deplete Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.</p>
<p>The OECD also urges investment in the private sectors of partner countries to create better job options and wages at home for Pacific workers. This is where Australian and New Zealand development aid policies should now be focused.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217790/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Apisalome Movono receives funding from Royal Society Te Apārangi.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Regina Scheyvens receives funding from Royal Society Te Apārangi.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sophie Auckram does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The new government is likely to increase the numbers of workers coming to New Zealand on seasonal work schemes. But the impact on Pacific economies and communities is now too great to be ignored.Apisalome Movono, Senior Lecturer in Development Studies, Massey UniversityRegina Scheyvens, Professor of Development Studies, Massey UniversitySophie Auckram, Research Assistant, Massey UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2020262023-03-17T04:28:00Z2023-03-17T04:28:00Z$18 million a job? The AUKUS subs plan will cost Australia way more than that<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/515974/original/file-20230317-28-tvz0de.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C7315%2C3713&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australian governments have a long and generally dismal history of using defence procurement, and particularly naval procurement, as a form of industry policy. </p>
<p>Examples including the Collins-class submarines, Hobart-class air warfare destroyers and, most recently, the Hunter-class “Future Frigates”.</p>
<p>The stated goal is to build a defence-based manufacturing industry. But there is also a large element of old-fashioned pork-barrelling involved. </p>
<p>In particular, South Australia has nursed grievances over the shutdown of local car making, centred in the state, following the withdrawal of federal government subsidies. The closure of the Osborne Naval Shipyard in north Adelaide would be politically “courageous” for any government.</p>
<p>So the projects roll on, despite technical problems (the six Collins-class subs were plagued by problems with their noise signature, propulsion and combat systems) and cost overruns (the three Hobart destroyers <a href="https://asiapacificdefencereporter.com/from-the-magazine-the-solution-to-the-surface-combatant-shortfall-new-generation-anzac-frigates/">cost $1.4 billion more</a> than the $8 billion budgeted). The $35 billion plan for nine Hunter-class frigates may yet be abandoned given budget constraints. </p>
<p>All these previous ventures are dwarfed by the AUKUS agreement, which involves projected expenditure of up to $368 billion. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/aukus-submarine-plan-will-be-the-biggest-defence-scheme-in-australian-history-so-how-will-it-work-199492">AUKUS submarine plan will be the biggest defence scheme in Australian history. So how will it work?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>As Richard Denniss of The Australia Institute has noted, the precision implied by this number is spurious. The cost could come in below $300 billion, or easily approach $500 billion.</p>
<h2>Military case lacking</h2>
<p>The case for such a massive investment in submarines has proved hard to make in a simple and convincing way. The “<a href="https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/red-alert-20230306-p5cpt8.html">Red Alert</a>” articles published this month by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age has helped to raise alarm about China. But the warning Australia could find itself at war with China in the next few years (over Taiwan) isn’t a persuasive argument for submarines that won’t be delivered until the 2030s.</p>
<p>Other questions have emerged. </p>
<p>In different ways, former prime ministers Paul Keating and Malcolm Turnbull have questioned the sense of a renewed alliance with the United Kingdom. The UK in a state of obvious decline, and Labour leader Keir Starmer, likely to be Britain’s next prime minister, has been noticeably lukewarm in his support for AUKUS, <a href="https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9335/">saying</a>: “Whatever the merits of an Indo-Pacific tilt, maintaining security in Europe must remain our primary objective.”</p>
<p>Then there’s the view, held by many experts, that what has made submarines such potent weapons in the past – stealth – is unlikely to endure. Underwater drones and improved satellite technology <a href="https://theconversation.com/progress-in-detection-tech-could-render-submarines-useless-by-the-2050s-what-does-it-mean-for-the-aukus-pact-201187">could make our subs obsolete</a> even before they are launched.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/progress-in-detection-tech-could-render-submarines-useless-by-the-2050s-what-does-it-mean-for-the-aukus-pact-201187">Progress in detection tech could render submarines useless by the 2050s. What does it mean for the AUKUS pact?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What about the jobs?</h2>
<p>In these circumstances, the easiest political strategy to sell the AUKUS package is to present it as a job-creation program.</p>
<p>This is an appealing path for the federal government, given Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s <a href="https://electionspeeches.moadoph.gov.au/speeches/2022-anthony-albanese">yearning</a> for “an Australia that make things”. Albanese’s <a href="https://twitter.com/AlboMP">Twitter account</a> has published tweets extolling the economic benefits of the deal, but none about what the submarines will actually do to make Australians safer.</p>
<p>The obvious response is that the 20,000 jobs <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/aukus-submarine-workforce-and-industry-strategy">the government says</a> the program will directly create over the next 30 years will cost more than $18 million apiece. </p>
<p>But that actually understates how bad the case is. </p>
<h2>Where will we find the skilled workers?</h2>
<p>Australia already has a shortage of the type of skilled workers required to build the nuclear-powered subs: scientists, technicians and trade workers. Our existing training programs are unlikely to fill the gap. So, the new jobs will mostly be filled either by diverting skilled workers from other industries or by additional immigrants.</p>
<p>The government is grappling with the policies that can meet this existing shortage. Our migration program, for example, allocates extra points for technical skills in short supply, putting skilled workers ahead of people whose motive for migration is to be with their families and friends. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-improve-the-migration-system-for-the-good-of-temporary-migrants-and-australia-199520">How to improve the migration system for the good of temporary migrants – and Australia</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p>The “<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-inequity-of-job-ready-graduates-for-students-must-be-brought-to-a-quick-end-heres-how-183808">Job Ready Graduates</a>” policy introduced by the Morrison government subsidises science, technology, engineering and mathematics degrees, at the expense of humanities and social sciences. This policy is now under review, but may well be maintained in some form.</p>
<p>Such is the scale of the problem that the government’s pre-election commitment to deliver a White Paper on Full Employment (inspired the Chifley government’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Paper_on_Full_Employment_in_Australia">1945 White Paper</a>) has been sidelined by a focus on how to increase the supply of skilled labour, through vocational education, immigration and delayed retirement. Hence the title of the “<a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/outcomes-jobs-and-skills-summit">Jobs and Skills Summit</a>” in September 2022.</p>
<p>There is no indication the shortage of skilled tech workers is going to be resolved any time soon. It is, then, a mistake to boast about the number of technical jobs that will be created by AUKUS. </p>
<p>It would be more accurate to say that, just as the massive financial cost of the submarines will come at the expense of spending on social needs, the workers required to build them will divert skills from addressing needs such as decarbonising the economy.</p>
<p>Perhaps, like previous submarine deals, this plan will be scrapped before consuming the stupendous sums of money now projected. But in the meantime it will divert the Australia’s government from addressing urgent domestic problems.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202026/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Quiggin has worked with Richard Denniss on a variety of policy issues.</span></em></p>The Albanese government’s attempt to sell the AUKUS nuclear submarine plan as a job-creation program is bad economics.John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1959062022-12-13T19:02:18Z2022-12-13T19:02:18ZTo clean up Australia’s power grid, we’re going to need many thousands more skilled workers – and fast<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/500312/original/file-20221212-95362-f6pez3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=134%2C194%2C9850%2C6661&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>To get Australia’s grid 82% powered by renewables by 2030 is a huge increase. At present, the electricity powering eastern and southern states is around <a href="https://aemo.com.au/en/energy-systems/electricity/national-electricity-market-nem/data-nem/data-dashboard-nem">33% renewable</a>.</p>
<p>To get there means a lot of work. Over the next seven years, it would be <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/the-staggering-numbers-behind-australias-82-per-cent-renewables-target/">equivalent to</a> installing dozens of large wind turbines every month, and tens of thousands of solar panels every day. </p>
<p>And work needs workers. To make this happen, <a href="https://www.uts.edu.au/isf/explore-research/projects/australian-electricity-workforce-2022-integrated-system-plan-projections-2050">our modelling shows</a> 15,000 more workers are needed by 2025 – less than three years away. That’s amid a skills shortage, an <a href="https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/publications/2021-infrastructure-market-capacity-report">infrastructure boom</a> and unemployment rates at the lowest level in decades. </p>
<p>So how to do it? We need to train more skilled workers and give them more security. Renewable projects have tended to operate on boom-bust cycles when it comes to jobs. But to get where we need to be, we need to shift to a long-term boom mentality. We’re going to need people doing these jobs for decades to come.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/500313/original/file-20221212-93168-k8glwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Solar panel installation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/500313/original/file-20221212-93168-k8glwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/500313/original/file-20221212-93168-k8glwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500313/original/file-20221212-93168-k8glwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500313/original/file-20221212-93168-k8glwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500313/original/file-20221212-93168-k8glwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500313/original/file-20221212-93168-k8glwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500313/original/file-20221212-93168-k8glwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The big renewable build will only work if we have enough workers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How big is this issue?</h2>
<p>Big. Getting to 82% renewables and fast means we need to greatly scale up the electricity sector workforce in generation, storage and transmission line construction. </p>
<p>We estimate the current workforce is around 41,000, including 12,000 working in coal and gas power stations or supplying those power stations with fuel. This is only an estimate, as updated figures won’t be available until the federal government delivers its promised <a href="https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-workforce/australian-energy-employment-report">energy employment report</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/wind-turbines-off-the-coast-could-help-australia-become-an-energy-superpower-research-finds-164590">Wind turbines off the coast could help Australia become an energy superpower, research finds</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Australia’s energy market operator, AEMO, publishes regularly updated pathways to a clean-energy future. Now we have federal backing for accelerated timelines, the most likely outcome is the so-called “<a href="https://aemo.com.au/en/energy-systems/major-publications/integrated-system-plan-isp/2022-integrated-system-plan-isp">step change scenario</a>”. This scenario envisages nine times more wind and solar by 2050, to boost capacity to 141 gigawatts, and four times more rooftop solar. </p>
<p>Under this scenario, 15,000 more workers must be ready and able to build and operate renewables and storage, or build transmission lines, by 2025. </p>
<p>The problem is, these workers don’t exist at present. Many existing skilled workers are already paid well by major infrastructure projects, such as metro rail projects in Melbourne and Sydney and regional projects such as inland rail. What’s more, unemployment rates are the lowest in decades, and peak demand for labour to build wind and solar projects is set to outstrip the <a href="https://www.energy.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-09/employment-skills-and-supply-chains-renewable-energy-in-nsw-final-report.pdf">entire current workforce</a> in some regional areas where the renewable projects will be concentrated.</p>
<p>To add to the challenge, skilled workers tend to live in major population centres – but clean energy projects are virtually all in the regions. So the clean energy sector must compete with big infrastructure projects in the cities, which pay more and don’t involve travel. You can see the challenge. If we don’t get this right, the clean energy transition just won’t happen. </p>
<p>The common answer to workforce shortages is to train more workers. But here, too, there are challenges. Our skilled training sector has long been in the doldrums, with demand spread thin across far-flung regions and policy uncertainty leaving many gaps in capacity.</p>
<h2>15,000 new skilled workers are just the start</h2>
<p>We <a href="https://www.uts.edu.au/isf/explore-research/projects/australian-electricity-workforce-2022-integrated-system-plan-projections-2050">modelled the workforce</a> needed to achieve three of the AEMO scenarios: the step change, the hydrogen superpower and the slow change. We also modelled an offshore wind scenario, using AEMO’s modified step change “sensitivity” which takes into account <a href="https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/renewable-energy/offshore-wind">Victoria’s ambitious target</a> for offshore wind.</p>
<p>Under the step change scenario, we found the demand for skilled jobs will increase 37,000 from 2023 and peak at 81,000 in 2049. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/500558/original/file-20221212-22-pi89ao.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/500558/original/file-20221212-22-pi89ao.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=310&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500558/original/file-20221212-22-pi89ao.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=310&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500558/original/file-20221212-22-pi89ao.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=310&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500558/original/file-20221212-22-pi89ao.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500558/original/file-20221212-22-pi89ao.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500558/original/file-20221212-22-pi89ao.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Jobs in generation, transmission construction and storage under different scenarios for the National Electricity Market.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But if Australia becomes a major exporter of renewable energy in the form of green hydrogen or green ammonia, as backers like iron ore billionaire Twiggy Forrest <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/forrest-strikes-huge-green-hydrogen-plan-with-german-energy-giant-e-on/">are hoping</a>, that’s a different story. It would require up to twice the workers of the step-change scenario in the 2030s, and up to triple in the 2040s. </p>
<p>That’s a staggering peak demand of 237,000 jobs, with an average demand of 110,000. To get there, we would need 34,000 extra workers within three years. </p>
<p>Where will the jobs be? New South Wales will be the leading state in most scenarios, with a demand for over 20,000 skilled workers annually until 2050 under the step-change scenario. Across NSW, Queensland and Victoria, the job split by technologies is very similar in this scenario: 37% of jobs in solar, 27–30% for wind, and 17–22% in batteries. The pattern is similar in the offshore wind and slow-change scenarios.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/500561/original/file-20221212-22-5lpidw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/500561/original/file-20221212-22-5lpidw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500561/original/file-20221212-22-5lpidw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500561/original/file-20221212-22-5lpidw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500561/original/file-20221212-22-5lpidw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=591&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500561/original/file-20221212-22-5lpidw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=591&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500561/original/file-20221212-22-5lpidw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=591&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>What about the hydrogen superpower scenario? This would change things dramatically. Here, the highest demand for renewable jobs would be in Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania. Compared to the step-change scenario, Queensland would add over 100,000 jobs, while jobs in South Australia would more than treble and Tasmania quadruple from 2,200 to 9,400. Relatively modest growth is projected for NSW and Victoria – 4,000 new jobs in both states compared to the step change.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/500560/original/file-20221212-24-bsk51g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/500560/original/file-20221212-24-bsk51g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=318&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500560/original/file-20221212-24-bsk51g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=318&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500560/original/file-20221212-24-bsk51g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=318&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500560/original/file-20221212-24-bsk51g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500560/original/file-20221212-24-bsk51g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500560/original/file-20221212-24-bsk51g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Electricity sector jobs in the Step Change scenario by technology in the National Electricity Market.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>We can’t just leave it to the market</h2>
<p>Coordinated action is needed to plan and implement skills, training and workforce development. Here, state and territory governments can build on the recent creation of <a href="https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/renewable-energy/renewable-energy-zones">Renewable Energy Zones</a> – essentially, renewable rich areas where transmission lines exist or will be built – to boost collaboration between industry and government on training strategies and programs. </p>
<p>Workforce planning should be brought into overall energy system planning, to help reduce the employment boom-bust cycle. Most electricity planning favours “just in time” construction, where infrastructure is built as it is needed. That means demand for labour is volatile. The NSW government has created an <a href="https://www.energy.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-11/electricity-infrastructure-jobs-advocates-first-report-to-minister-for-energy-for-publication.pdf">electricity infrastructure jobs advocate</a> and created <a href="https://www.energyco.nsw.gov.au/about-energyco/our-purpose">EnergyCo</a> to co-ordinate the development of the renewable energy zones and maximise local benefits. </p>
<p>Given current shortages of workers, it’s vital governments take action now. Acting early would help future-proof our clean energy workforce and maximise benefits for regional areas. Even better, we could help boost numbers of workers from under-represented groups such as women and First Nations communities. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-can-aboriginal-communities-be-part-of-the-nsw-renewable-energy-transition-181171">How can Aboriginal communities be part of the NSW renewable energy transition?</a>
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</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/195906/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jay Rutovitz received funding for this work from the RACE for 2030 CRC, the Government of NSW, and the Government of Victoria. The Australian Energy Market Operator was a partner in the work. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris Briggs received funding for this research from the RACE for 2030 CRC, the Government of NSW, and the Government of Victoria. The Australian Energy Market Operator was a partner in the work.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rusty Langdon received funding for this research from the RACE for 2030 CRC, the Government of NSW, and the Government of Victoria. The Australian Energy Market Operator was a partner in the work.</span></em></p>We’ll need to almost double our electricity sector workforce to build renewables as quickly as we need to. Where will the workers come from amid a skills shortage and infrastructure boom?Jay Rutovitz, Research Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology SydneyChris Briggs, Research Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology SydneyRusty Langdon, Research Consultant, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1888332022-08-25T20:03:54Z2022-08-25T20:03:54ZYes, we know there is a ‘skills shortage’. Here are 3 jobs summit ideas to start fixing it right away<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480234/original/file-20220822-57149-gj7boy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=44%2C66%2C7304%2C4781&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/coffee-shop-bar-counter-cafe-restaurant-425709280">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This article is part of The Conversation’s series looking at Labor’s jobs summit. Read the other articles in the series <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/jobssummit2022-125921">here</a>.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Next Thursday, union, business and political leaders will meet in Canberra for the jobs and skills summit. One of the key issues Treasurer Jim Chalmers has listed for discussion is “addressing skills shortages”.</p>
<p>We hear the term “skills shortages” all the time in media and policy debates about jobs and the economy. But what skills do we need, and more importantly, how do we get them?</p>
<p>While Australia must also think about longer-term planning, we suggest some solutions to train people for the vacancies we have now. </p>
<h2>What skills do we need?</h2>
<p>Australia’s unemployment rate is only 3.4%, and is currently at a <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/labour-force-australia/latest-release">48-year low</a>. There are more than 480,000 job vacancies, and many employers struggling to find and retain suitable workers.</p>
<p>Both treasury’s pre-summit <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/publication/2022-302672">issues paper</a> and <a href="https://www.nationalskillscommission.gov.au/reports">National Skills Commission</a> show the most in-demand jobs are in nursing, disability care, accounting, retail and cafe work. These have a wide range of skill requirements: nursing jobs need at least 18 months for the relevant diploma, it is possible to get a disability care qualification in 12 weeks, while you can train on the job for retail. </p>
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<p>We also <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/publication/2022-302672">know</a>, 42% of technician and trade occupations are facing a skills shortage compared to 19% of other occupations that require skills assessed by an outside body. In a worrying trend, completion rates for trade apprenticeships declined to 54% for those who started in 2017, five percentage points lower than completion rates for those who started in 2013. </p>
<h2>How do we fix this?</h2>
<p>Many of these issues are well-known. Two major recent reviews have looked at Australia’s skills and training system. The Morrison government commissioned the 2019 <a href="https://www.pmc.gov.au/resource-centre/domestic-policy/vet-review/strengthening-skills-expert-review-australias-vocational-education-and-training-system">Joyce review</a> into vocational education and in 2020, the <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/skills-workforce-agreement#report">Productivity Commission</a> did a study on skills and workforce development. </p>
<p>When it comes to quick fixes about jobs, migration is often <a href="https://theconversation.com/local-training-is-the-best-long-term-solution-to-australias-skills-shortages-not-increased-migration-170376">seen as the answer</a>. We have <a href="https://theconversation.com/migration-offers-an-urgent-fix-for-the-skills-we-need-right-now-but-education-and-training-will-set-us-up-for-the-future-186374">previously argued</a> this does not position Australia well for the mid- or long term, rather we need to make changes to our education and training systems. </p>
<p>With this in mind, here are three ideas or changes that can bring about quick change to fill immediate gaps, but do not rely on migration. </p>
<h2>3 ideas to fix the skills shortage now</h2>
<p><strong>1. Micro-credentials</strong></p>
<p>Based on our <a href="https://ojs.deakin.edu.au/index.php/jtlge/article/view/1317">research</a>, industry, vocational education and university providers should do “micro-credentialling”. These are <a href="https://ojs.deakin.edu.au/index.php/jtlge/article/view/1015">mini qualifications</a> that can meet the current, specific gaps in a shorter amount of time. </p>
<p>Both Australian universities and TAFEs have begun doing this in recent years. This could include topics from business leadership and coding to disability support. If the job and skill requirements are higher, these micro-credentialed offerings can be upgraded to micro-apprenticeships.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/migration-offers-an-urgent-fix-for-the-skills-we-need-right-now-but-education-and-training-will-set-us-up-for-the-future-186374">Migration offers an urgent fix for the skills we need right now, but education and training will set us up for the future</a>
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<p>The summit should look at fast-tracking micro-credential schemes. <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-the-implications-of-technological-disruption-for-australian-vet">Our research</a> shows the lengthy process required to recognise and accredit training package skill sets – the formal mechanism for micro-credentials in the Australian VET system – makes it hard to adjust program offerings to meet changes in demand. </p>
<p>If we are going to respond quickly to market or technology changes, employers and managers also need to be flexible. </p>
<p>This may include changing their mindsets from only employing “fully qualified” employees, to hiring people that will require ongoing support for life-long learning. </p>
<p><strong>2. Stop the tertiary education wars</strong></p>
<p>While many education providers want a clear delineation between different skill levels and qualifications, and who can deliver what, these <a href="https://www.fenews.co.uk/exclusive/vocational-education-and-training-vet-in-fe-a-question-of-divide-and-rule/">demarcations are artificial</a> and restrict the ability to meet the needs of employers. </p>
<p>In many of the jobs facing shortages, there is not a clear line between what employees trained at different skill levels can and should do. For example, in hospitality and tourism, university graduates and VET sector diploma holders are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10963758.2008.10696919">all trained similarly</a> in business operations and how to use industry-standard technology, while incorporating international and cultural perspectives. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1559732169232334850"}"></div></p>
<p><a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-the-implications-of-technological-disruption-for-australian-vet">Our research</a> has shown that one of the largest challenges facing making the Australian skills and training system more flexible is the lack of cooperation between the vocational education and university sectors. Both often see each other as competitors for school leavers and government funding. </p>
<p>The TAFE and university sectors have already proven they <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/sites/default/files/July%202018/document/pdf/industry-4.0-testlabs-report.pdf?acsf_files_redirect">can work together</a> through a series of “test labs” that focus on manufacturing skills. The model could be applied for industries facing critical staffing and skills shortages such as health and disability care.</p>
<p><strong>3. Stop the state wars</strong></p>
<p>States and territories are also parochial and competitive when it comes to skills and this doesn’t help us fill shortages as a national level. </p>
<p>For example, the Western Australian government and mining sector have been enticing eastern states-based FIFO workers to relocate permanently to the west, with <a href="https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2020/06/Message-to-east-coast-FIFO-workers-move-to-WA.aspx">large financial incentives</a>. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1270173201209782272"}"></div></p>
<p>Meanwhile <a href="https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/free-tafe-courses-australia-states-203310336.html">fee-free TAFE courses</a> are set by state and territory governments, with a mind to which skills are needed locally, rather the bigger, national picture. This is in keeping with the traditional Australian view that skills training and education is <a href="https://cciwa.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/20200108-CCIWA-Submission-Review-Into-National-Agreement-for-Skills-and-Workforce-Development-FINAL-2.pdf">mainly to meet local needs</a>. </p>
<p>The Albanese government has already pledged to provide 465,000 fee-free TAFE places in areas with a critical skills gap. There is an opportunity here. If these places are created immediately, they will help states and territories train more workers for each other – instead of just for themselves. </p>
<p>Provided there is also a <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/regulations-and-standards/reducing-technical-barriers-to-trade">free flow</a> of workers between states, this will reduce skill mismatches between employers and employees across the nation and boost productivity.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188833/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>We hear the term ‘skills shortages’ all the time in media and policy debates. But what skills do we need, and more importantly, how do we get them?Pi-Shen Seet, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Edith Cowan UniversityJanice Jones, Associate Professor, College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1871432022-08-25T04:17:42Z2022-08-25T04:17:42ZSpare a thought for air-conditioning repair people. As the planet warms, they’re really up against it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480986/original/file-20220825-16-t80kde.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=192%2C0%2C4392%2C2584&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>More frequent and extreme weather associated with climate change is creating uncertainty across society. In particular, it raises <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20438206221088381">challenges</a> for the workers required to fix and maintain things. In a warming world this includes equipment such as air-conditioning and refrigeration.</p>
<p>These workers are essential for helping society adapt to climate change. Air-conditioning provides the space cooling that supports our everyday lives. Refrigeration underpins global <a href="https://www.unido.org/our-focus-safeguarding-environment-implementation-multilateral-environmental-agreements-montreal-protocol/energy-efficient-and-green-cold-chain">food supply chains</a>, health care, agriculture and more. </p>
<p>Despite the significance of this workforce, it remains largely under the radar. These workers face difficulties such as heat stress and skills shortages. They also play an important role in climate mitigation by installing more efficient appliances – work that is largely undervalued.</p>
<p>Next week’s national <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/publication/2022-302672">jobs and skills summit</a> will focus, among other issues, on the energy transition. But it should also consider other workers at the frontline of climate change.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Blue cabin with three A/C units on outside" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480992/original/file-20220825-17-6rnapv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480992/original/file-20220825-17-6rnapv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480992/original/file-20220825-17-6rnapv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480992/original/file-20220825-17-6rnapv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480992/original/file-20220825-17-6rnapv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480992/original/file-20220825-17-6rnapv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480992/original/file-20220825-17-6rnapv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">As climate change worsens, air-conditioning will become even more crucial to keeping homes liveable.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP</span></span>
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<h2>‘Work up on the roof which is 60°C’</h2>
<p>My research looks at the work of skilled trades, particularly in the area of repair and maintenance. Along with a team of <a href="https://betterwaystowork.com.au/about/">engineers and social scientists</a> at the University of Wollongong, I have been researching the air-conditioning and refrigeration sector. </p>
<p>The team was commissioned by the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources to research maintenance practices in commercial office buildings. Many issues we found were also common across other building types, including hotels, aged-care facilities and shopping centres. </p>
<p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20438206221088381">The study</a> comprised a large industry survey, 70 in-depth interviews, and four focus groups with building contractors and facilities managers. Our team also accompanied workers as they responded to service calls and undertook routine maintenance in buildings.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-uk-just-hit-40-for-the-first-time-its-a-stark-reminder-of-the-deadly-heat-awaiting-australia-187347">The UK just hit 40℃ for the first time. It's a stark reminder of the deadly heat awaiting Australia</a>
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<p>The installation, maintenance and repair of domestic and commercial refrigeration and air-conditioning helps provide cooling and comfortable indoor environments – an increasingly challenging task as average global temperatures <a href="https://theconversation.com/cities-could-get-more-than-4-c-hotter-by-2100-to-keep-cool-in-australia-we-urgently-need-a-national-planning-policy-152680">rise</a>. </p>
<p>Australia’s building stock is ill-equipped for climate change. Much of it is poorly insulated, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/houses-for-a-warmer-future-are-currently-restricted-by-australias-building-code-120072">relies on</a> electrical appliances to stay warm or cool.</p>
<p>This puts air-conditioning workers at the centre of climate adaptation – a job not without risk. Heat stress is already an issue for Australian workers, affecting not just their <a href="https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-020-00641-7">health and safety</a> but also <a href="https://www3.nd.edu/%7Enmark/Climate/ZanderEtAlHeatStress.pdf">productivity</a>. </p>
<p>As one professional in the air-conditioning industry explained:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Call someone out when it’s 40°C […] all of a sudden the (contractor) is going to go work up on the roof which is 60°C, which is probably a workplace health and safety issue that no one knows about because it’s hidden. </p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="two men servicing air conditioning outside building" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480991/original/file-20220825-26-n92lo7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480991/original/file-20220825-26-n92lo7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480991/original/file-20220825-26-n92lo7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480991/original/file-20220825-26-n92lo7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480991/original/file-20220825-26-n92lo7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480991/original/file-20220825-26-n92lo7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480991/original/file-20220825-26-n92lo7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Air-conditioning repair work can pose health and safety risks.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<h2>Maintenance: it actually matters</h2>
<p>Together, air-conditioning and refrigeration account for <a href="https://iifiir.org/en/fridoc/the-role-of-refrigeration-in-the-global-economy-2015-138763">about 17%</a> of global energy consumption. The industry’s workers can help address this by educating consumers about, and installing, more efficient appliances. The timely maintenance of air-conditioning and fridges can also reduce system energy consumption.</p>
<p>However, building owners are not always convinced of the need to upgrade equipment or carry out preventative maintenance. For example, it’s estimated up to <a href="https://new.gbca.org.au/news/gbca-media-releases/cbd-program-opens-door-energy-efficiency-opportunities">80,000</a> commercial buildings in Australia need energy efficiency upgrades – many of them due to air-conditioning systems that are decades old. </p>
<p>Industry contractors told us cooling and ventilation systems are frequently “run to fail”, consuming excess energy and increasing the risk of overloading the broader electricity network. As one worker said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>if we unpack this problem properly, and got preventative maintenance done two months out before summer, we get… all the peak demand issues get reduced, we get reliability.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Upgrading air-conditioning and refrigeration systems is a significant economic and environmental opportunity. But this requires workers, and the sector has struggled to recruit. </p>
<p>Industry figures suggest about 1,600 people <a href="https://nationalindustryinsights.aisc.net.au/industries/electrotechnology/refrigeration-and-air-conditioning">each year</a> start an apprenticeship or traineeship in the refrigeration and air-conditioning trade across Australia. But fewer than half complete the training, pointing to attrition problems. </p>
<p>The industry needs a strong pipeline of skilled workers. Any workforce shortages could seriously inhibit Australia’s capacity to adapt to and mitigate climate change.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="large ventilation and A/C unit on buillding" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480994/original/file-20220825-12-8jdphm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480994/original/file-20220825-12-8jdphm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480994/original/file-20220825-12-8jdphm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480994/original/file-20220825-12-8jdphm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480994/original/file-20220825-12-8jdphm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480994/original/file-20220825-12-8jdphm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480994/original/file-20220825-12-8jdphm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Building owners don’t always appreciate the need for preventative maintenance on air-conditioning systems.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Helping people and the planet</h2>
<p>There’s an urgent need to look more closely at the skills required to deliver the energy transition and help humans survive on a warmer planet. </p>
<p>Workers in air-conditioning and refrigeration are just a few of the many skilled professionals we’ll lean on heavily in the coming years and decades. Helping these workers meet the challenges ahead should be a national priority – and doing so will help both people and the planet.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/itll-be-impossible-to-replace-fossil-fuels-with-renewables-by-2050-unless-we-cut-our-energy-consumption-189131">It’ll be impossible to replace fossil fuels with renewables by 2050, unless we cut our energy consumption</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/187143/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chantel Carr receives funding from the Australian Research Council. This work was commissioned and funded by the Australian Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (now DCCEW). Dan Daly, Elyse Stanes, Matt Daly and Pauline McGuirk contributed to the broader research from which this article was drawn.</span></em></p>Hot rooftops and a looming skills shortage – these are just a few challenges faced by crucial yet undervalued air-conditioning repair people.Chantel Carr, ARC DECRA Fellow, School of Geography and Sustainable Communities, University of WollongongLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1888112022-08-17T20:04:58Z2022-08-17T20:04:58ZTo hit 82% renewables in 8 years, we need skilled workers – and labour markets are already overstretched<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479549/original/file-20220817-12-wtiwro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C4%2C2800%2C1856&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Evgeniy Alyoshin/Unsplash</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In just eight years time, the Labor government wants Australia to be 82% powered by renewable energy. That means a rapid, historic shift, given only 24% of our power was supplied by renewables as of <a href="https://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/taylor/media-releases/2021-australian-energy-statistics-electricity#:%7E:text=The%202021%20Australian%20Energy%20Statistics,21%20per%20cent%20in%202019.">last year</a>. </p>
<p>To make this happen, we must rapidly scale up our renewable energy construction workforce. Last week’s <a href="https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-ministers/meetings-and-communiques">energy ministers’ meeting</a> calls for assessment of the “workforce, supply chain and community needs” for the energy transition. The government’s jobs and skills summit in early September will tackle the issue too. While it’s positive the government is focused on these challenges, the reality is we’re playing catch-up. </p>
<p>Why? Because Australia is already stretched for workers, and it takes time to give new ones the skills they will need. <a href="https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/market-capacity-electricity-infrastructure">Our research</a> estimates the renewable energy transition will need up to 30,000 workers in coming years to build enough solar farms, wind farms, batteries, transmission lines and pumped hydro storage to transform our energy system. Most of these jobs will be in regional areas.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/labors-renewable-target-is-much-more-ambitious-than-it-seems-we-need-the-best-bang-for-buck-policy-responses-186302">Labor’s renewable target is much more ambitious than it seems. We need the best bang-for-buck policy responses</a>
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<p>In coming decades, Australia will invest around A$66 billion in large-scale renewables and $27 billion in rooftop solar and battery storage. This creates openings for industry development like the $7.4 billion market opportunity for an <a href="https://fbicrc.com.au/australias-7-4-billion-opportunity-in-future-battery-industries/">integrated battery supply chain</a> and manufacturing which builds on our strengths, such as <a href="https://fbicrc.com.au/australias-7-4-billion-opportunity-in-future-battery-industries/">wind towers</a>. </p>
<p>If we get this right, we can create new manufacturing and supply chain jobs and reverse the long drift of these jobs overseas. But if we get it wrong, skill shortages could derail the vision of a new energy system by 2030. </p>
<h2>What jobs will we need and where?</h2>
<p>Much of the debate on the energy transition to date has focused on technical challenges like integrating renewable energy into the grid. </p>
<p>But as a <a href="https://www.csq.org.au/renewables/#">new report</a> from Construction Skills Queensland points out: “The biggest challenge in delivering the (renewable energy) boom could be the scale of the construction workforce required.”</p>
<p>Across the eastern states in the National Energy Market, the construction workforce needs to scale up rapidly to build wind and solar farms, rooftop solar, battery storage and transmission lines throughout the 2020s. As the volume of renewable energy grows, our modelling finds the share of operations and maintenance jobs will increase, making up around 50% of all jobs by 2035 based on the Australian Energy Market Operator’s <a href="https://aemo.com.au/en/energy-systems/major-publications/integrated-system-plan-isp/2020-integrated-system-plan-isp">roadmap</a> for the energy system. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479335/original/file-20220816-16-6grk0p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479335/original/file-20220816-16-6grk0p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=177&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479335/original/file-20220816-16-6grk0p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=177&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479335/original/file-20220816-16-6grk0p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=177&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479335/original/file-20220816-16-6grk0p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=223&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479335/original/file-20220816-16-6grk0p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=223&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479335/original/file-20220816-16-6grk0p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=223&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This figure shows the numbers of jobs needed by technology and type, transmission construction, electricity generation and storage under a 2021-2035 step change scenario.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AEMO 2020 Integrated System Plan</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Notably, our projections include very few jobs in manufacturing. That’s because at present, most renewables manufacturing is done offshore. But as the country which pioneered <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2021-09-19/solar-panels-why-australia-stopped-making-them-china/100466342">key solar technologies</a>, we could harness these investments to build local production.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/historic-new-deal-puts-emissions-reduction-at-the-heart-of-australias-energy-sector-188296">Historic new deal puts emissions reduction at the heart of Australia's energy sector</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Skill shortages could cripple the renewables boom</h2>
<p>While it sounds simple in theory, the hard part is making this a reality. How can we best scale up the construction workforce in regional areas? How can we best leverage public and private clean energy investment to increase local manufacturing jobs? </p>
<p>It’s going to be a challenge. That’s because we are already facing widespread skill shortages in key jobs such as engineers, electricians and transmission lineworkers.</p>
<p>Australia is in the midst of an <a href="https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/publications/2021-infrastructure-market-capacity-report">“unprecedented” boom</a> in infrastructure. Think of the huge transport projects like <a href="https://inlandrail.artc.com.au/">inland rail</a> and metro projects in major cities. </p>
<p>Our regions are already struggling to supply workers for these projects. Infrastructure Australia has <a href="https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/publications/2021-infrastructure-market-capacity-report">projected</a> a shortage of 41,000 engineers and 15,000 trades in the next few years. This is a real worry for the renewables industry. Where will the new workforce come from? </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479553/original/file-20220817-12-mex1o8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="windfarm building" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479553/original/file-20220817-12-mex1o8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479553/original/file-20220817-12-mex1o8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479553/original/file-20220817-12-mex1o8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479553/original/file-20220817-12-mex1o8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479553/original/file-20220817-12-mex1o8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479553/original/file-20220817-12-mex1o8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479553/original/file-20220817-12-mex1o8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The fuel is free - but building renewables needs skilled workers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As the labour market tightens, there’s a risk skill shortages will become a constraint on construction timetables. There are industry reports of bidding wars as companies vie to secure skilled workers by offering higher wages. That’s great for the workers with the skills, but it also speaks to the fact the pool of skilled people is too small – even before we launch this major transition. </p>
<p>People in many regional communities are concerned the renewable boom could follow the mining boom with a reliance on fly-in, fly-out workers. This approach overheats local economies and housing and ultimately leaves little benefit, as <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-03/barnaby-joyce-port-hedland-growth-pilbara-economy-fifo-jobs/101016816">towns like Karratha</a> have found. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479554/original/file-20220817-14-wtiwro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Road sign karratha" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479554/original/file-20220817-14-wtiwro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479554/original/file-20220817-14-wtiwro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479554/original/file-20220817-14-wtiwro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479554/original/file-20220817-14-wtiwro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479554/original/file-20220817-14-wtiwro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479554/original/file-20220817-14-wtiwro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479554/original/file-20220817-14-wtiwro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Regional towns like Karratha have found the mining boom a mixed blessing. We need to tackle this to make sure the renewable boom has lasting impact.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What do we need to do?</h2>
<p>Governments will need to roll out regional programs to increase the size of this workforce, by creating direct training pathways to help school leavers get into the renewables sector. This can slow the well known “youth drain” of country kids to the cities. </p>
<p>Specific programs <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-can-aboriginal-communities-be-part-of-the-nsw-renewable-energy-transition-181171">could also help</a> First Nations people in remote areas into jobs <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-21/aboriginal-owned-solar-farm-completed-by-2022/100473610">close to their communities</a> such as in <a href="https://esdnews.com.au/bomen-solar-farm-helps-locals-get-back-into-workforce/">best-practice solar farms</a> and transmission projects. </p>
<p>We’ll also need urgent investment in regional training facilities, courses and apprenticeships. </p>
<p>While the federal government has committed to fund <a href="https://www.alp.org.au/policies/new-energy-apprenticeships">energy apprentices</a>, we will also need more industry-government partnerships like the pioneering <a href="https://www.skills.tas.gov.au/about/current_projects/energising_tasmania">Energising Tasmania</a> initiative to train and redeploy new and existing workers backed by government support.</p>
<p>And we will also need skilled migration as part of the solution. That’s because the regions cannot supply the full scale of the workforce required and time is short. But regional communities will want to see programs encouraging workers and businesses to put down roots. If renewables become another FIFO-boom, we risk community backlash. </p>
<p>While the government has many other things to juggle, this is a big one. Without skilled workers, we won’t reach the goal of transforming our energy system by 2030. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-an-aussie-invention-could-soon-cut-5-of-the-worlds-greenhouse-gas-emissions-121571">How an Aussie invention could soon cut 5% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188811/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The article draws on research undertaken by the Institute for Sustainable Future which has been commissioned by the Clean Energy Council, Infrastructure Australia and the NSW Renewable Energy Sector Board. ISF is currently undertaking research on renewable and skills for the NSW Department of Education and Training and EnergyCo.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>This article draws on research undertaken by the Institute for Sustainable Future which has been commissioned by the Clean Energy Council, Infrastructure Australia and the NSW Renewable Energy Sector Board. ISF is currently undertaking research on renewable energy and skills for the NSW Department of Education and Training and EnergyCo.</span></em></p>Australia is already in the grip of a skills shortage. We’re going to have to solve that before we can start on the big renewables build.Chris Briggs, Research Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology SydneyRusty Langdon, Research Consultant, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1863742022-07-06T06:29:39Z2022-07-06T06:29:39ZMigration offers an urgent fix for the skills we need right now, but education and training will set us up for the future<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472668/original/file-20220706-15190-bc6kqn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5721%2C3734&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australia is facing serious <a href="https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/why-we-don-t-have-enough-workers-to-fill-jobs-in-4-graphs-20220621-p5avcc">labour</a> and <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-03/australia-ceos-warn-on-skilled-worker-shortage-ahead-of-election">skills</a> shortages both now and in the longer term. The immediate priority is to help employers fill current vacancies. In the longer term, the government needs to ensure its investments in education and training prepare Australia for future skill needs and opportunities arising from rapid technological change and other grand challenges like climate change. </p>
<p>The new minister for skills and training in the Albanese government, Brendan O’Connor, is faced with competing calls to increase the skilled migrant intake and to invest in education and training to meet the demand for skilled workers.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1544480237173571584"}"></div></p>
<p>Decisions are <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-ie/Building+Cross+Cultural+Competence:+How+to+create+Wealth+from+Conflicting+Values-p-9780471495277">typically framed</a> in an “either-or” way in largely Western, Anglo-Saxon societies such as Australia. Polarisation becomes the norm. We see this in the portrayal of Australia’s employment and skills problems in the <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/urgent-call-by-business-for-boost-in-migration-levels/news-story/9fc76223bc14b81bd87beca48466f9fb">media and by various interest groups</a>.</p>
<p>On one side is the call for more immigrants, whether temporary or permanent, by the main <a href="https://www.ceda.com.au/NewsAndResources/Opinion/Population/The-path-back-for-Australia-s-migration-program">industry</a> and <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/we-ve-got-a-crisis-we-need-workers-big-business-urges-election-winner-to-boost-migration-20220513-p5aky9.html">employer</a> groups. Based on Australia’s experience over the past couple of decades, migrants will generally be the quicker and cheaper option to ease the shortages employers are facing now. However, many of these are general shortages of workers who may be <a href="https://www.adelaide.edu.au/stretton/news/list/2021/10/21/a-global-battle-for-low-skilled-workers-looms-after-covid-australia-needs-to">unskilled or semi-skilled</a>. </p>
<p>Relying on migrants to solve skills or labour shortages may only be a quick fix. It also serves to reinforce current practices and problems. And that doesn’t position Australia well for future industries. </p>
<p>On the other hand, the <a href="https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2022/05/brilliant-unions-push-back-against-skilled-visa-influx/">trade unions</a>, <a href="https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/rba-boss-admits-high-immigration-has-hurt-wages-20210708-p587zy">Reserve Bank</a> and <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/confs/2019/pdf/rba-conference-2019-brell-dustmann-discussion.pdf">Grattan Institute</a> have argued that going back to the previous migration settings may only reinforce the negative effects of minimal real wage growth for Australian workers. It’s also likely to reinforce the <a href="https://www.fairwork.gov.au/sites/default/files/migration/764/migration-institute-of-australia-national-conference-speech-18-november-2016.pdf">exploitation</a> and <a href="https://news.curtin.edu.au/media-releases/half-skilled-migrants-working-lesser-jobs-survey/">underemployment</a> of migrants. </p>
<p>For example, the <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade/ModernSlavery/Final_report">federal parliamentary inquiry</a> into a modern slavery act found certain industries (like <a href="https://www.awu.net.au/news/2020/08/12649/awu-says-the-horticulture-industry-thinks-it-is-above-the-law-and-must-be-pulled-into-line/">horticulture</a>) exploited temporary migrants, backpackers and international students through “wage theft”. This happened when <a href="https://agribusiness.purdue.edu/understanding-the-margin-squeeze/">profit margins were squeezed</a> and Australian workers were <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/agriculture/australians-avoiding-farm-work-despite-abundant-jobs-award-rates-20180323-h0xv9f#:%7E:text=The%20chief%20executive%20of%20Fresh,wants%20to%20work%20this%20caper.">reluctant to do those jobs</a>.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/migration-is-a-quick-fix-for-skills-shortages-building-on-australians-skills-is-better-159207">Migration is a quick fix for skills shortages. Building on Australians' skills is better</a>
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<p>And research shows an over-reliance on migration risks <a href="https://theconversation.com/there-may-not-be-enough-skilled-workers-in-australias-pipeline-for-a-post-covid-19-recovery-140061">entrenching outdated industries</a> and slowing Australia’s economic transition as part of the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-what-it-means-and-how-to-respond/">Fourth Industrial Revolution</a>. This revolution is being driven by technology becoming embedded in societies through the fusion of multiple technologies into what are known as cyber-physical systems.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1461088076126556160"}"></div></p>
<p>But investing in education, skills and training can take years to deliver a significant return. Typical apprenticeships already take up to four years. The move towards <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/higher-apprenticeships-what-are-we-talking-about">higher apprenticeships</a> to foster skills in advanced industries may take even longer. </p>
<h2>What has changed since the pandemic?</h2>
<p><a href="https://thewest.com.au/business/small-business/coronavirus-wipe-out-looms-for-services-operators-finds-edith-cowan-university-study-ng-b881553092z">Research</a> has found many employers, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, lack the resources or resilience to survive external shocks for very long. And they no longer have government COVID-19 support schemes like JobKeeper to keep them afloat. </p>
<p>The former Coalition government planned to throw money at the skills problem. Its 2022 budget allocated <a href="https://ministers.dese.gov.au/robert/morrison-government-delivering-australias-workforce-future#:%7E:text=%E2%80%9CUnder%20this%20measure%2C%20the%20Morrison,Workforce%20Development%20Specific%20Purpose%20Payment.">more than A$2.5 billion</a> to vocational education and training (VET) policies to help fill skills gaps. </p>
<p>It’s unclear how much the new Labor government is prepared to stick to those plans or even to bring forward investments that were mostly <a href="https://ausprint.meltwater.com/print_clip_previewer/377790779?text=on&keyword=on&pdf=new">back-loaded until after 2023-24</a>. A large budget deficit and inflation are compounding the difficulties. </p>
<p>Immigration may have been an effective solution in the past. Today, things may not be that simple. </p>
<p>For one thing, migrant source countries like China are <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-strictly-limit-unnecessary-overseas-travels-by-chinese-citizens-combat-2022-05-12/">still restricting international travel</a> by their citizens due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. Many of Australia’s traditional source countries have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/apr/26/boris-johnson-threatens-to-privatise-passport-office-dvla-applications-backlog">long delays in issuing travel documents</a>. </p>
<p>Australia also faces <a href="https://insights.navitas.com/uk-and-canada-compete-for-top-spot-in-the-pandemic-recovery-race/">increased competition</a> from other developed countries like the Unite States, United Kingdom and Canada, which have made themselves more attractive for migrants. These countries were less restrictive during the pandemic, giving them a head-start on Australia, which closed its borders.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/international-student-numbers-hit-record-highs-in-canada-uk-and-us-as-falls-continue-in-australia-and-nz-173493">International student numbers hit record highs in Canada, UK and US as falls continue in Australia and NZ</a>
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<h2>So what are the solutions?</h2>
<p>As both the <a href="https://www.bca.com.au/jennifer_westacott_interview_with_leon_byner_fiveaa1">Business Council of Australia</a> and <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/quick-jobs-fix-import-more-skills-skills-minister-brendan-oconnor-says/news-story/e94321eb050869411be5bdea0f26f0ed">O'Connor</a> have recognised, Australia doesn’t have the luxury of adopting a binary approach – migration or training. Both are necessary.</p>
<p>First, it needs to attract migrants and make it easier to enter Australia to reverse the outflow caused by issues like the <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/australias-temporary-visa-holders-remain-locked-out-of-jobkeeper-and-jobseeker/d0l9kcz02">lack of JobKeeper support for temporary migrant workers</a>. </p>
<p>Second, it must invest urgently in education, skills and training for <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-the-implications-of-technological-disruption-for-australian-vet">growth industries</a> of the future. These include renewables, healthcare and Industry 4.0. The latter is the result of the cyber-physical transformation of manufacturing – for example, 3D printing needs advanced materials with internet-linked printers, which are increasingly intelligent and autonomous.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1543758733582299136"}"></div></p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/i-will-never-come-to-australia-again-new-research-reveals-the-suffering-of-temporary-migrants-during-the-covid-19-crisis-143351">'I will never come to Australia again': new research reveals the suffering of temporary migrants during the COVID-19 crisis</a>
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<p>Other stakeholders should work together to <a href="https://theconversation.com/local-training-is-the-best-long-term-solution-to-australias-skills-shortages-not-increased-migration-170376">design and invest</a> in education and training solutions too. These stakeholders include major employers, state and territory governments, trade unions, vocational education and university providers. </p>
<p>Besides streamlining the migration process, federal, state and territory governments need to quickly refresh their <a href="https://federalfinancialrelations.gov.au/agreements/national-agreement-skills-and-workforce-development">National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development</a>. </p>
<p>Industry, vocational education and university providers should collaborate on <a href="https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2021vol12no1art1317">micro-credentialled offerings</a> These short courses are a way to rapidly upskill both domestic and international workers. This can help fill current gaps without the long lag effects associated with traditional educational qualifications. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/microcredentials-what-are-they-and-will-they-really-revolutionise-education-and-improve-job-prospects-169265">Microcredentials: what are they, and will they really revolutionise education and improve job prospects?</a>
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<p>Employers may also need to change their mindsets. Instead of employing only fully qualified employees they may have to take on ones who require ongoing support for <a href="https://vdc.edu.au/vdc-news/the-modern-worker-and-skills/">lifelong learning</a>. </p>
<p>Finally, while there may be good opportunities in the current job market in so-called traditional industries, potential employees should not take the easy route of stereotypical careers. <a href="https://www.oecd.org/education/dream-jobs-teenagers-career-aspirations-and-the-future-of-work.htm">Younger people</a> should explore and invest in training and education for careers that will be opened up by disruptive technologies. Examples include automation, artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning and digitalisation.</p>
<p>Australia has to take a more creative approach. We need to use the post-COVID and post-election opportunities to overcome current shortages and make sure the economy can respond to future challenges. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-youre-preparing-students-for-21st-century-jobs-youre-behind-the-times-131567">If you're preparing students for 21st century jobs, you're behind the times</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/186374/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>To overcome serious shortages of workers, both highly skilled and low-skilled, the government will need to look to migration. But fostering home-grown skills is a better and more enduring solution.Pi-Shen Seet, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Edith Cowan UniversityJanice Jones, Associate Professor, College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1770522022-02-25T01:49:24Z2022-02-25T01:49:24ZShortages, price increases, delays and company collapses: why NZ needs a more resilient construction industry<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/447966/original/file-20220223-23-poqncm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=9%2C0%2C5997%2C4007&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The pandemic has had a considerable impact on all businesses, but New Zealand’s construction sector appears particularly hard hit and is struggling to cope. Firms have failed, prices have gone up, and labour and materials are in short supply. </p>
<p>In the past few weeks alone, one construction company has <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/127791407/it-just-grew-too-quickly-failed-construction-firm-gibbs-group-owes-unsecured-creditors-17m">gone under</a> and building projects have ground to a halt due to <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/300515566/building-projects-grind-to-a-halt-as-dominant-fletcher-freezes-gib-orders">shortages of Gib board</a>. </p>
<p>These kinds of problems should not surprise anyone. Material and labour shortages, companies failing, red tape and poor quality outcomes for companies and consumers are not new for the sector. </p>
<p>The big question is why such shocks and stresses create problems for the New Zealand construction industry so regularly. More immediately, how can the sector deliver reliably on the significant building and infrastructure projects in the <a href="https://www.mbie.govt.nz/building-and-energy/building/supporting-a-skilled-and-productive-workforce/national-construction-pipeline-report/">current pipeline</a>?</p>
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<h2>A potted history of crises</h2>
<p>A few key examples tell the tale. In 2002 there was the leaky building crisis, with <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/leak-crisis-to-hurt-homeowners/DUWN5P2CR7UQEUWAOUFWBLOCBE/">predictions</a> of a serious downturn and the “potential for a major systemic breakdown across the industry”. </p>
<p>In 2012, the building sector again faced a “<a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/business/residential-property/6909891/Building-sector-faces-another-bleak-year">bleak year</a>”, in part due to delays in the Canterbury rebuild and low volumes of work elsewhere. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-pandemic-exposes-nzs-supply-chain-vulnerability-be-ready-for-more-inflation-in-the-year-ahead-176232">The pandemic exposes NZ’s supply chain vulnerability – be ready for more inflation in the year ahead</a>
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<p>Forecasts in early 2013 of <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/editors-picks/8295758/Canterbury-drives-46b-building-boom">boom times ahead</a> as the Christchurch rebuild finally appeared to take off were followed by <a href="https://d39d3mj7qio96p.cloudfront.net/media/documents/ER7_Assessment_of_the_likely_changes_to_construction_businesses_in_Christchurch.pdf">cost increases, skills shortages and increasing defects</a>. </p>
<p>By 2015, there were reports of more than 60 construction-related Christchurch <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/83522292/canterburys-bloody-problem-hundreds-of-buildingrelated-firms-failing">companies in liquidation</a> that year, owing creditors an estimated NZ$40 million. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/447967/original/file-20220223-23-17tuxaq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/447967/original/file-20220223-23-17tuxaq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/447967/original/file-20220223-23-17tuxaq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/447967/original/file-20220223-23-17tuxaq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/447967/original/file-20220223-23-17tuxaq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/447967/original/file-20220223-23-17tuxaq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/447967/original/file-20220223-23-17tuxaq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Post-earthquake rebuilding in Christchurch ran into rising costs, skills shortages and liquidations.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">GettyImages</span></span>
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<h2>Planning for resilience</h2>
<p>Even in unremarkable times, the industry tends to be slow to innovate and has poor productivity. Firms win tenders with prices so low they often cannot make any profit. The industry does not spend enough on research and development, and it reacts rather than plans. </p>
<p>What is needed is the development of a resilient construction sector that’s able to cope with adverse events, recover well and continue to operate effectively. </p>
<p>We began researching organisational and <a href="https://scholar.google.co.nz/citations?user=mCgP694AAAAJ&hl=en">construction sector resilience</a> in the early 2000s. Since then, we have worked on a number of government projects in New Zealand and overseas, helping to develop infrastructure network, organisation and sector resilience. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/rebuilding-post-eruption-tonga-4-key-lessons-from-fiji-after-the-devastation-of-cyclone-winston-175611">Rebuilding post-eruption Tonga: 4 key lessons from Fiji after the devastation of Cyclone Winston</a>
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<p>Our <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IJDRBE-05-2016-0020/full/html">past research</a> tells us organisations are likely to be more resilient when they have leadership and a culture that actively plans and allows for constant change. </p>
<p>A resilient organisational culture is one where staff are engaged in resolving problems and are given time and training to develop innovative thinking. Resilient companies learn from the past and use those lessons to focus on what matters. </p>
<p>They also maintain effective relationships with other relevant organisations. They understand their position in the construction supply chain, including who they depend on and who depends on them. A resilient supply chain makes the industry less fragmented and more connected. </p>
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<h2>Moving to a new model</h2>
<p>Our research leads us to believe that developing closer-to-home resourcing – not relying on so many imported skills and materials – would create greater resilience and a more sustainable industry. </p>
<p>And there are current initiatives making a difference. Educational programs focusing on <a href="https://concove.ac.nz/">training and career development</a> are an excellent step towards creating workforce resilience. Similarly, a <a href="https://www.constructionaccord.nz/">construction sector accord</a> is creating partnerships between government and industry to achieve (among other things) a co-ordinated voice on industry reforms.</p>
<p>The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission are both involved in improving the sector’s <a href="https://www.mbie.govt.nz/building-and-energy/building/">climate change planning</a>, skills and productivity, and <a href="https://www.tewaihanga.govt.nz/strategy/new-zealand-infrastructure-strategy/objectives-and-recommendations/">risk management</a>.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/unless-we-improve-the-law-history-shows-rushing-shovel-ready-projects-comes-with-real-risk-141530">Unless we improve the law, history shows rushing shovel-ready projects comes with real risk</a>
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<p>Our research aims to build on such developments by helping organisations in the construction sector understand their own resilience and to plan accordingly. </p>
<p>In particular, a five-year grant from MBIE’s <a href="https://www.mbie.govt.nz/science-and-technology/science-and-innovation/funding-information-and-opportunities/investment-funds/endeavour-fund/success-stories/past-rounds/2020-endeavour-fund-successful-proposals/">Endeavour Fund</a> will allow us to develop the <a href="https://www.buildmagazine.org.nz/articles/show/solving-capacity-and-capability-problems">CanConstructNZ</a> project to help manage industry capacity and better understand how to manage shocks and stresses. </p>
<p>The hope is that all such initiatives will contribute to a more resilient construction sector that can deliver the multiple projects within the national pipeline forecasts.</p>
<p>With a more co-ordinated approach to planning and the ability to withstand shocks and setbacks, it’s hoped the industry can avoid the problems that have dogged it – and the country – for too long.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/177052/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Suzanne Wilkinson receives funding from Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment under the Endeavour Research Programme, CanConstructNZ.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Monty Sutrisna receives funding from MBIE Endeavour. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Regan Potangaroa receives funding from the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment under the Endeavour Research Program, CanConstructNZ.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rod Cameron receives funding from Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment under the Endeavour Research Programme, CanConstructNZ</span></em></p>The construction sector has long suffered from lack of co-ordination, poor planning and vulnerability to shocks. If the country’s building and infrastructure needs are to be met, that has to change.Suzanne Wilkinson, Professor of Construction Management, Massey UniversityMonty Sutrisna, Head of School of Built Environment, Massey UniversityRegan Potangaroa, Professor of Resilient and Sustainable Buildings (Maori Engagement), Massey UniversityRod Cameron, Programme Leader, CanConstructNZ, Massey UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1755232022-02-03T03:17:57Z2022-02-03T03:17:57ZWho’ll teach all the students promised extra TAFE places? 4 steps to end staff shortages<p>Under Labor’s proposed <a href="https://alp.org.au/policies/future-made-in-australia-skills-plan">Future Made in Australia Skills Plan</a>, Australians studying in an industry with a skills shortage will be supported through the provision of free TAFE places. This will include 45,000 new places. If Labor does that without expanding the present <a href="https://www.pmc.gov.au/resource-centre/domestic-policy/vet-review/strengthening-skills-expert-review-australias-vocational-education-and-training-system">depleted teaching workforce</a>, we’re likely to see more current teachers bailing out and corners cut in teaching practices.</p>
<p>Our 2021 <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/attracting-industry-experts-to-become-vet-practitioners-a-journey-not-a-destination">research</a> for the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (<a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/about-ncver/about-us">NCVER</a>) found the shortages of VET teachers and trainers extend to virtually every industry. If these shortages are not overcome, the result will be an inadequately trained vocational workforce. This in turn will have an impact on the country’s skill levels and productivity.</p>
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<p>Not that the present federal government has much to be proud of in this regard. Although Vocational Education and Training (VET) significantly underpins the nation’s workforce development, it has limped along under recent national governments.</p>
<p>TAFE, the public provider, has remained a poor relation. <a href="https://www.afr.com/policy/health-and-education/vet-for-monday-20180321-h0xrib">Workforce shortages</a> have continued, made worse by retirements from the <a href="https://www.skillsreform.gov.au/images/documents/Consultation_draft_of_the_VET_Workforce%20Quality_Strategy.pdf">ageing VET workforce</a> and by the need to expand training to cater for new and emerging industries.</p>
<p>For our <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/attracting-industry-experts-to-become-vet-practitioners-a-journey-not-a-destination">research</a> we talked with key members of almost 30 registered training organisations (RTOs) across Australia about the shortage of trainers. We also surveyed over 300 practising teachers and trainers (VET practitioners) about their experiences of moving into VET.</p>
<p>The challenge in overcoming the shortage of VET practitioners is to encourage experienced workers from trades and the professions to move into VET.</p>
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<h2>What are the key issues?</h2>
<p>The difference in salaries between industry and VET is a significant issue. It’s too simplistic an explanation for the lack of applicants, however. </p>
<p>For example, one disincentive is the nature of employment in the sector. Just over half of VET practitioners are employed in ongoing full-time roles. As one said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“People at the top of their industry don’t leave for a temporary contract.”</p>
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<p>Private training organisations reported they sometimes provide permanent employment for trainers simply to keep them “on the books”. One RTO principal told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I can’t afford to put them off because we’ll never get them back.”</p>
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<p>A further stumbling block is the inflexibility of the basic educational qualification as a point of entry. Trainers generally need to complete a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (Cert IV TAE) <em>before</em> they can teach. There is only minimum provision for supervised practice without it.</p>
<p>Training organisations reported prospective trainers are reluctant to acquire the full qualification before they’re allowed to teach. Tradespeople with significant practical experience but no formal education since their apprenticeship were also anxious about “returning to study”.</p>
<p>Paradoxically, there was pushback from university-educated professionals in senior positions against the need for a vocational qualification.</p>
<p>The value of the certificate itself as a training qualification has been an <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Erica-Smith-4/publication/337013372_The_Importance_of_VET_Teacher_Professionalism_An_Australian_Case_Study/links/5dc0c1244585151435e8c507/The-Importance-of-VET-Teacher-Professionalism-An-Australian-Case-Study.pdf">ongoing contentious issue</a>. One ex-tradie wrote:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“They want teachers to have ten years of industry experience […] but expect a six-day course to be enough to be a good teacher.”</p>
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<p>It’s understood changes to the qualification are in the wind. Let’s hope these include ones that will make entry to VET teaching more flexible. </p>
<p>Training organisations and trainers alike argued for better recognition of prior learning among those who already have a training or mentoring role. </p>
<p>Even after they make the transition, new practitioners sometimes leave VET because their expectations don’t meet the reality. This is especially true if their employer doesn’t provide appropriate orientation and support. One trainer said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Day one I was given a USB with PowerPoint presentations on it and told to go into the classroom and deliver it.”</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Chart showing decline in apprenticeship and traineeship completions in Australia, 2010 to 2021" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443969/original/file-20220202-13-1hj0wgy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443969/original/file-20220202-13-1hj0wgy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=391&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443969/original/file-20220202-13-1hj0wgy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=391&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443969/original/file-20220202-13-1hj0wgy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=391&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443969/original/file-20220202-13-1hj0wgy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443969/original/file-20220202-13-1hj0wgy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443969/original/file-20220202-13-1hj0wgy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/infographics/historical-time-series-of-apprenticeships-and-traineeships-in-australia-infographic-1963-to-2021">Data: NCVER</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<h2>What can be done to end the shortages?</h2>
<p>We identified several strategies to attract more VET practitioners.</p>
<p><strong>1. Exploit career points and individual passion for teaching and training.</strong></p>
<p>A national media campaign could target prospective VET professionals at potential “turning points” in their careers. That might be, for example, when they are looking to move into something different from their everyday job, when family or financial responsibilities have eased, or when they are seeking an alternative work-life balance. Sell these as benefits beyond salary. </p>
<p><strong>2. Smooth the entry path.</strong></p>
<p>Provide more options to “try before you buy”. These might include “bite-size” opportunities to experience teaching in VET before making a commitment. Industry specialists could be allowed to teach short-term with a particular training skill set, rather than the full qualification.</p>
<p>It’s also essential to ensure prospective practitioners understand in advance how expectations in VET are different from those in their former workplaces. When they get there, give them a soft landing, especially those new to training. Show them they’re valued.</p>
<p><strong>3. Involve industry more.</strong> </p>
<p>Encourage and enable movement in and out of VET – so-called “<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262220931_How_vocational_teachers_describe_their_vocational_teacher_identity/link/606352f1299bf173677da67a/download">boundary crossing</a>”. This will enable practitioners to maintain their links and their industry currency. </p>
<p>There is also scope and reason for industry to be more directly involved in promoting and fostering the VET practitioner career.</p>
<p><strong>4. Enhance the status of VET.</strong></p>
<p>This can be done by promoting the uniqueness of the “<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0309877X.2011.590584">dual practitioner</a>”. Arguably even more than at university level, VET employs tradespeople and professionals who have developed expertise in one career and channels them into a second career. As a VET teacher or trainer, their initial expertise is highly valued.</p>
<p>Our research showed many people in VET are passionate about its potential but some despair about its future. Whichever party is in power, expanding and equipping the VET workforce is a vital step forward.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/175523/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Darryl Dymock received research funding from NCVER. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Tyler received research funding from NCVER.</span></em></p>Federal Labor is promising to cover the cost of 465,000 TAFE places, including 45,000 new places. But there’s a chronic shortage of VET teachers and trainers, so that problem has to be fixed first.Darryl Dymock, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow in Education, Griffith UniversityMark Tyler, Senior Lecturer, School of Education and Professional Studies, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1755102022-01-31T19:07:18Z2022-01-31T19:07:18ZCOVID halved international student numbers in Australia. The risk now is we lose future skilled workers and citizens<p>The saying “you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone” reminds us not to take things for granted. It is often when we no longer have something or someone that we recognise the value of what we’ve lost. This is true of international students in Australia whose <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-international-education-crisis-will-linger-long-after-students-return-to-australia-170360">numbers halved</a> during the pandemic. </p>
<p>Can hindsight help us understand what we had and help to guide our future? That question lingers as <a href="https://minister.homeaffairs.gov.au/AlexHawke/Pages/further-flexibility-for-temporary-migrants.aspx">tens of thousands</a> of new and returning international students arrive back in Australia now that borders have reopened.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/border-opening-spurs-rebound-in-demand-from-international-students-175046">Border opening spurs rebound in demand from international students</a>
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<p>Students pursue international education for a variety of reasons. The main one is to improve their employment prospects. </p>
<p>International students are looking for high-quality, relevant curriculum and credentials that will best serve their career plans. While studying, they also seek social connections that help them to navigate local education and employment systems. </p>
<p>The pandemic created chaos and uncertainty about enrolments, border closures, flight availability and quarantine requirements. Over the past two years, many international students had to put their plans on hold. They hung on to the possibility of studying and working in Australia. </p>
<p>Let’s not forget, they can choose other countries that will be seeking highly educated and skilled graduates. Some have already moved on to countries where borders were open, such as Canada. These countries offered access to high-quality international education with fewer complications and greater certainty about transitioning to work visas.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/international-student-numbers-hit-record-highs-in-canada-uk-and-us-as-falls-continue-in-australia-and-nz-173493">International student numbers hit record highs in Canada, UK and US as falls continue in Australia and NZ</a>
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<h2>Their absence hit us hard</h2>
<p>Consider what Australia lost when so many international students were gone. In 2019, they contributed an estimated <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/australian-strategy-international-education-2021-2030">$40.3 billion</a> to the economy. International education <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/australian-strategy-international-education-2021-2030">supported about 250,000 jobs</a> in Australia. </p>
<p>Border closures reduced enrolments by <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/australian-strategy-international-education-2021-2030">up to 70%</a> in some parts of the higher education sector. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-multilingual-identity-is-an-asset-for-selling-our-english-language-teaching-to-the-world-168185">Australia's multilingual identity is an asset for selling our English-language teaching to the world</a>
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<p>The financial impacts on Australian universities have been smaller than originally predicted, but the loss of billions in revenue should not be discounted. Universities were exposed to the risks of depending on a never-ending flow of new international students and their tuition fees. The pandemic’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/after-2-years-of-covid-how-bad-has-it-really-been-for-university-finances-and-staff-172405">impacts on university finances</a> led to the loss of as many as <a href="https://theconversation.com/after-2-years-of-covid-how-bad-has-it-really-been-for-university-finances-and-staff-172405">35,000 academic and professional jobs</a>. </p>
<p>Local communities and businesses also missed the consumer power of international students and visiting family members who purchased goods and services. Employers have struggled to find enough local workers for job vacancies that these students would fill.</p>
<h2>Australia must extend the welcome mat</h2>
<p>The Australian government recently <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-19/backpackers-internatonal-students-visa-fee-rebate-covid-workers/100765716">announced incentives</a> for international students to return soon to help overcome labour shortages and stimulate market growth. Visa fee rebates and relaxed restrictions on allowable working hours are aimed at recovery in the international student market, while filling gaps in the workforce. What remains to be seen is how well entry-level and part-time jobs in service and hospitality will translate into future employment opportunities that match these students’ qualifications.</p>
<p>The fall in international student numbers also meant losing key resources for intercultural learning. Although many of us are longing to travel abroad for a dose of intercultural exposure, learning at home between local and international students is a relatively untapped resource. Increasing the numbers of international and local students studying together is part of the solution identified by the <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/australian-strategy-international-education-2021-2030">Australian Strategy for International Education</a>. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-strategy-to-revive-international-education-is-right-to-aim-for-more-diversity-172620">Australia's strategy to revive international education is right to aim for more diversity</a>
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<p>Many international students will need extra <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-international-students-return-lets-not-return-to-the-status-quo-of-isolation-and-exploitation-173489">support to develop social capital</a> – the friendships, community contacts, mentors and networks that help to build a sense of belonging now and in the future.</p>
<p>International students have been treated like commodities for higher education and the labour market. But they are people, whose choice of international education is connected to their hopes and plans after graduating. </p>
<p>The global pursuit of talent will increase graduates’ opportunities to decide which country they choose for education, for employment and for permanent migration. Not every international graduate will choose to stay in Australia. Fluctuating immigration policy makes it difficult to predict who will be allowed to stay and who will not.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442435/original/file-20220125-13-w6eagx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing type of visa held by international graduates working in Australia by year of course completion" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442435/original/file-20220125-13-w6eagx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442435/original/file-20220125-13-w6eagx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=604&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/442435/original/file-20220125-13-w6eagx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=604&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/442435/original/file-20220125-13-w6eagx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=604&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/442435/original/file-20220125-13-w6eagx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=759&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/442435/original/file-20220125-13-w6eagx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=759&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/442435/original/file-20220125-13-w6eagx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=759&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.dese.gov.au/australian-strategy-international-education-2021-2030">Source: Australian Strategy for International Education 2021-2030</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/as-international-students-return-lets-not-return-to-the-status-quo-of-isolation-and-exploitation-173489">As international students return, let's not return to the status quo of isolation and exploitation</a>
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<h2>This is not a short-term issue</h2>
<p>Many countries, including Australia, need to attract talented graduates to make up for low birth rates, low immigration due to the pandemic and skilled worker shortages. International students are preferred immigrants because they combine experience from their home countries with experience studying and living locally.</p>
<p>As international students return to Australia, the welcome mat needs to stay out longer. It matters how we support them, not only upon arrival, but throughout their academic programs and as they prepare for their future employment. </p>
<p>International students invest in their education and the country where they study. We in turn need to recognise their many contributions and invest in their potential. </p>
<p>The longer-term view requires strategy for supporting them as students, employees and future associates, within and beyond Australia’s borders. Let’s think carefully about what can be improved as international students return to Australia. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-international-education-crisis-will-linger-long-after-students-return-to-australia-170360">Why the international education crisis will linger long after students return to Australia</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/175510/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nancy Arthur received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for research on the education to employment transitions of international students. </span></em></p>Having international students in Australia gives us a head start in the global race to attract skilled migrants. COVID border closures that halved their numbers could have very long-term costs.Nancy Arthur, Dean of Research, UniSA Business, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1703762021-10-28T19:11:56Z2021-10-28T19:11:56ZLocal training is the best long-term solution to Australia’s skills shortages – not increased migration<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428918/original/file-20211027-17493-1i2kot.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-woman-making-coffee-espresso-while-1788739724">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In mid October, the New South Wales government’s <a href="https://www.afr.com/politics/australia-needs-explosive-surge-of-2-million-migrants-20211011-p58z0n">top bureaucrats urged</a> new Premier Dominic Perrottet to push for “an aggressive resumption of immigration levels” to spur post-pandemic economic recovery.</p>
<p>Industry seized on this as the answer to skills shortages that have resulted from Australia’s border closures. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry <a href="https://www.australianchamber.com.au/news/population-numbers-reveal-plan-desperately-needed-for-labour-and-skills-shortages">called</a> for a near doubling of the skilled migration program, to around 200,000 annually over the next five years.</p>
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<p>In the same week, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/news-and-events/media-releases/apprentice-and-trainee-numbers-grow">released a report</a> that showed a 35% increase in the number of Australians enrolled in courses linked to apprenticeships and traineeships, compared to the start of the pandemic. But the news seemed to fly under the radar.</p>
<p>This significant rise in training may not satisfy those who want a quick solution to the skills shortages. But growth in Australia’s vocational education and training sector is a more sustainable way of filling the gaps.</p>
<h2>Where are the skills shortages?</h2>
<p>Earlier this year, a <a href="https://www.treasury.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-06/2021-22_nsw_intergenerational_report.pdf">NSW</a> and <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/publication/2021-intergenerational-report">federal</a> government report suggested increased skilled migration would be a big part of Australia’s future success after a pandemic-induced fall in migration and population growth.</p>
<p>More recently, Infrastructure Australia <a href="https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-10/Infrastructure%20Workforce%20and%20Skills%20Supply%20report%20211013.pdf">anticipated</a> skilled job shortages could rise to around 100,000 by 2023. It argued Australians needed an urgent skilled migration program but that some skills shortages were likely to persist in the significant post-COVID infrastructure boost. </p>
<p>A June 2021 <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/business-indicators/business-conditions-and-sentiments/latest-release">ABS survey</a> showed more than a quarter (27%) of Australian businesses were having difficulty finding qualified staff. Among the skilled trades, these were mainly in hospitality, sales, transportation, construction and mining. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1452408036128002049"}"></div></p>
<p>But there are many issues with relying on migration to fix these, beyond a decrease in international travel due to COVID.</p>
<h2>Migration not the magic bullet</h2>
<p>Demographer <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/so-australia-wants-to-welcome-migrants-again-good-luck-with-that-20211021-p591te.html">Liz Allen has argued</a> the migration effort may be problematic due to more aggressive international competition to attract needed workers, such as in health care, and Australia’s reduced attractiveness as a destination.</p>
<p>Also, the upcoming <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/living-in-australia-and-overseas/recent-and-upcoming-policy-changes">longer waiting periods</a> for new Australian migrants to access welfare payments can make similar destinations like Canada and New Zealand more attractive.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/migration-is-a-quick-fix-for-skills-shortages-building-on-australians-skills-is-better-159207">Migration is a quick fix for skills shortages. Building on Australians' skills is better</a>
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<p>Meanwhile, an aggressive migration strategy may not be politically palatable. <a href="https://tapri.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/TAPRI-survey-Oct-2021-final-V3.pdf">Research shows</a> only 19% of voters agreed with the government’s long-term migration target. The rest supported lower levels, including 28% who wanted nil net migration.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1453136236776869889"}"></div></p>
<p><a href="https://population.org.au/media-releases/igr2021/">Another argument</a> made by the likes of Reserve Bank governor <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/immigration-levels-a-factor-in-sluggish-wages-growth-rba-governor-20210708-p587z2.html">Philip Lowe</a> is that a lower population leads to tightening of labour markets, fewer unemployed and employers improving wages and conditions causing employment participation rates to rise.</p>
<p>So, what’s a better way to fill the skills gap?</p>
<h2>Apprenticeships and traineeships on the rise</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.jobsandskills.wa.gov.au/training/apprenticeships-and-traineeships">Apprenticeships and traineeships</a> enable individuals to work and learn on the job while they complete a nationally recognised qualification.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/apprentices-and-trainees-2021-march-quarter-australia">NCVER report</a> (quarterly, to March 2021) shows 329,585 apprentices and trainees were in training, an annual growth rate of 20.7%.</p>
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<p>Commencements in traineeships and apprenticeships increased by 28.5% to 186,745. Of significance are increases such as 45.1% in the 25-44 years group and 58.2% in the over 45 years group. This raises the possibility they are re-training or upskilling, perhaps precipitated by the pandemic.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/trade-apprentices-will-help-our-post-covid-19-recovery-we-need-to-do-more-to-keep-them-in-work-135830">Trade apprentices will help our post COVID-19 recovery. We need to do more to keep them in work</a>
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<p>The growth rate in commencements was approximately the same in trades and non-trades. In trades, technical staff in IT, engineering and science recorded the greatest growth rate. In non-trades, this was for managerial/professional and administrative roles. These are some of the <a href="https://www.nationalskillscommission.gov.au/2021-skills-priority-list">roles identified</a> as being in current shortage or expected to be in strong future demand.</p>
<h2>More Australians training up since pandemic</h2>
<p>One reason for this increase is that during the pandemic, federal and state governments increased spending in re-skilling initiatives. Government programs included the Boosting Apprenticeships Commencements program (and its <a href="https://ministers.dese.gov.au/robert/morrison-government-expands-support-apprentices-secure-australias-future-workforce">expansion</a>) and <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/skills-reform/jobtrainer-fund">JobTrainer</a>, which gave 17-24 years looking for work a way to study a course in high-demand sectors for free or by paying a low fee. </p>
<p>Another reason may be that a <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/great-attrition-or-great-attraction-the-choice-is-yours">record number of people</a> meeting the shock of the pandemic have either quit their job or are thinking about doing so in developed economies. More than 19 million US workers have quit their jobs since April 2021. </p>
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<p>Recent <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/labour-force-australia/latest-release">ABS unemployment data</a> shows fewer Australians are applying for jobs or participating in the workforce. In September 2021, the participation rate fell by 333,000 people and hit a 15-month low, with just 64.5% of people aged 15 and over currently working or actively looking for work.</p>
<p>These data suggest some Australians, whether voluntarily or not, are enrolling in VET courses to retrain themselves for new jobs.</p>
<h2>Can domestic training solve the skills shortage?</h2>
<p>There is growing evidence the increase in apprentices and trainees will help alleviate skills shortages in sectors of the economy flexible enough to take them on — and patient enough to see them trained through the system. Traditionally, these are sectors which have been more exposed to market volatility such as mining and construction. </p>
<p>A recent <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Rethinking-permanent-skilled-migration-Grattan-Report.pdf">Grattan Institute report</a> suggests most skills shortages in a market economy are likely to be temporary. It argues our flexible labour market and relatively demand-driven higher education and VET sectors should lead to increased supply of most in-demand skills over time.</p>
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<p>A <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/publication/2021-intergenerational-report">federal report</a> estimates that to make up for skills shortages caused by an ageing population, there needs to be an annual migrant inflow of as much as 400,000. This is much higher than what employers are calling for. This means even with migration intakes, there is still a key role for domestic training to make up the projected skills gaps.</p>
<p>But for this to happen, the momentum in skills system innovation recommended in the <a href="https://www.pmc.gov.au/resource-centre/domestic-policy/vet-review/strengthening-skills-expert-review-australias-vocational-education-and-training-system">Joyce Review</a> — to ensure the VET sector can keep up with rapidly changing industry needs — should be accelerated.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-government-keeps-talking-about-revamping-vet-but-is-it-actually-doing-it-117743">The government keeps talking about revamping VET – but is it actually doing it?</a>
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<p>The federal government will need to continue working with states and territories, the training sector and industry on VET reform to ensure it is ready for the technological and demographic changes to work. For example, the fourth industrial revolution is disrupting traditional Australian jobs and workers are growing increasingly worried they will be displaced by technology. </p>
<p>It is unlikely earlier efforts to meet the requirements of these skills (such as by <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-the-implications-of-technological-disruption-for-australian-vet">sending employees overseas</a> to train at Industry 4.0 centres of excellence) will be as easy as before. Our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13602381.2018.1431250">research</a> has shown that besides human capital (knowledge that exists in individuals), innovation in Australia is also driven by social capital (knowledge that exists in groups and networks), which is harder to import. </p>
<p>Hence the need for Australia to develop adequate self-reliance in skills that cannot be easily imported. </p>
<p>If the trend of apprenticeship and traineeship commencements continues to rise to where they were about a decade ago, this may help address the skills shortages. This will still be in the medium to long term as it takes time for people to be trained and qualified.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/jobs-are-changing-and-fast-heres-what-the-vet-sector-and-employers-need-to-do-to-keep-up-118524">Jobs are changing, and fast. Here's what the VET sector (and employers) need to do to keep up</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/170376/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Some in government and industry aim to fill Australia’s skills shortages with migration policies. But VET numbers are up, suggesting many Australians are re-skilling. We could encourage more of this.Pi-Shen Seet, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Edith Cowan UniversityJanice Jones, Associate Professor, College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1641222021-07-22T12:19:36Z2021-07-22T12:19:36ZBrain drain is a hidden tax on the countries left behind<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412641/original/file-20210722-15-khjhbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C3%2C2556%2C1686&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Many doctors and healthcare staff feel the need to practice in richer countries that offer a more stable politics, better education and opportunities for their families.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pediatric_doctors_at_Donka_hospital_reviewing_mealses_cases.jpg">Julien Harneis</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Dr John Baptist Mukasa, or JB Neuro, as his colleagues called him, “was always at the beck and call of everyone who needed neurosurgical care”, <a href="https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/covid-19-medics-who-have-died-in-line-of-duty--3457244">according to</a> his colleague Dr Sabrina Kitaka. Mukasa’s <a href="https://www.newvision.co.ug/articledetails/107415">death from COVID</a> on June 29, in the middle of <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/coronavirus-data-explorer?zoomToSelection=true&time=2020-03-01..latest&pickerSort=asc&pickerMetric=location&Metric=Confirmed+cases&Interval=7-day+rolling+average&Relative+to+Population=true&Align+outbreaks=false&country=%7EUGA">Uganda’s most lethal wave so far</a>, robbed the country’s medical fellowship of a friend and a mentor.</p>
<p>It also cut the total number of neurosurgeons in Uganda <a href="https://www.newvision.co.ug/articledetails/107415">by 25%</a>.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1409883071038566401"}"></div></p>
<p>Only <a href="https://www.newvision.co.ug/articledetails/107415">three</a> neurosurgeons remain in Uganda, a country of 44 million people (although some estimates put the workforce as high as <a href="https://wfns.org/menu/61/global-neurosurgical-workforce-map">ten</a>). By comparison, Canada, with a population of 35 million, has over 150 neurosurgeons. New York City’s Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, where I did my residency, has <a href="https://www.columbianeurosurgery.org/doctors/">17 neurosurgeons in one department alone</a> – several times larger than the entire neurosurgical workforce of Uganda.</p>
<p>There are many reasons for this disparity, including a lack of training facilities and hospitals capable of supporting complex surgical care. And then there’s the <a href="https://theconversation.com/finlands-brain-drain-what-happens-to-small-countries-when-the-talent-leaves-79952">brain drain</a> – the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-nigerias-doctors-are-leaving-and-how-the-problem-can-be-fixed-117860">migration of trained professionals</a> out of a country to other, often wealthier, locations. </p>
<h2>Brain drain is taxation</h2>
<p>There are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1275994/">many reasons doctors leave</a>. A higher salary, access to education, stable political conditions, improved standards of living, increased perceived quality of life, and <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2812%2961826-1/fulltext">greater personal safety</a> all draw doctors away from their homes and often to countries that previously colonised theirs.</p>
<p>It’s a multi-billion–dollar industry. Recently, my colleagues and I published an estimate of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7042584/">the economic effect of the migration of doctors</a> (we didn’t have enough information to look at the migration of nurses or other health professionals). We found that countries lose somewhere between US$3.5 billion and US$38 billion a year as a result of the excess deaths that brain drain causes. The countries exporting the greatest number of doctors incur the largest costs: India, Nigeria, Pakistan and South Africa.</p>
<p>In other words, not only do the countries to which doctors migrate benefit from an influx of trained, experienced professionals, they also inflict what is essentially a tax on the economies of source countries — all for the privilege of attracting away their clinical staff.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412133/original/file-20210720-27-2ylm4u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Map showing main routes of migration by doctors from poorer to richer countries." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412133/original/file-20210720-27-2ylm4u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412133/original/file-20210720-27-2ylm4u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=284&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412133/original/file-20210720-27-2ylm4u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=284&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412133/original/file-20210720-27-2ylm4u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=284&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412133/original/file-20210720-27-2ylm4u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=357&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412133/original/file-20210720-27-2ylm4u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=357&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412133/original/file-20210720-27-2ylm4u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=357&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Migration of doctors from source (orange) countries to destination (green) countries.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7042584/">Saluja, Rudolfson, Massenburg, Meara, Shrime/BMJ Global Health</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Brain drain and COVID</h2>
<p>In 2010, the World Health Organization agreed the <a href="https://www.who.int/hrh/migration/code/WHO_global_code_of_practice_EN.pdf">Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel</a>. This agreement encouraged source countries to hold onto their healthcare workforce by improving education, living standards and working conditions (it didn’t address how this could be achieved in the face of limited resources). The agreement also required destination countries to <a href="https://globalizationandhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12992-016-0198-0">stop recruiting from countries with a shortage of healthcare workers</a>.</p>
<p>But that never happened. In fact, at the beginning of the COVID pandemic, active recruitment of doctors from these source countries stepped up as the scale of the crisis became clear.</p>
<p>COVID initially hit richer countries in Europe and the US hard, pummelling Italy, Spain and New York City, leaving countries in Africa relatively unscathed. It seemed pretty miraculous, prompting commentators to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54418613">offer reasons</a> for Africa’s <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-explains-africas-successful-response-to-the-covid-19-pandemic">relative success</a>. </p>
<p>Calls rose for medical professionals from resource-constrained regions to help shoulder the burden of the pandemic in these wealthier countries — flying in the face of the WHO code of practice. These calls went beyond simple recruitment. Some offered additional incentives to entice doctors to stay: for example, the UK <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/25/covid-19-call-for-fast-track-registration-of-refugee-doctors-in-uk">fast tracked registration of doctors trained outside the country</a>. </p>
<p>Now that the pandemic has swung back to ravage Africa, India and other parts of the world, this is a favour that the more wealthy nations have not returned. </p>
<p>Since I began writing this piece, Uganda also lost a 36-year-old ENT surgeon, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KakensaMed/posts/205205844828872">Dr Ian Bwete Apuuli</a>. During the pandemic, he performed tracheotomies on COVID patients, allowing them the chance to breathe without ventilation. But tracheotomies generate aerosols, and aerosols carry infection. Apuuli succumbed to the disease, leaving Uganda with only one surgeon trained to remove tumours from the head and neck.</p>
<p>The brain drain of healthcare workers from countries that can scarcely afford to lose them is not an emotionless, economic discussion. When we actively entice doctors not just to come and help, but to and come and stay, the effect is more than temporary. It is more than monetary. It undermines the entire health systems of the countries these doctors leave behind.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/164122/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Shrime receives funding from the Iris O'Brien Foundation and is on the board of Pharos Global Health Advisors. </span></em></p>India, Nigeria, Pakistan and South Africa lose thousands of trained doctors each year, lured away to work in richer countries – at great cost to their nation’s healthcare systems.Mark Shrime, Chair of Global Surgery, RCSI University of Medicine and Health SciencesLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1321322020-02-27T11:13:26Z2020-02-27T11:13:26ZWhat it will take to build a capable state in South Africa<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/316471/original/file-20200220-92493-psnobm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">African National Congress top six leaders. The governing party's wishes are sometimes out of kilter with the dictates of statecraft. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AFP-GettyImages/Mujahid Safodien</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>A major factor that undermines South Africa’s social and economic progress is the deficit in the capabilities of the state. This gap was identified long ago by the National Planning Commission, first in its diagnostic report in 2011, and again when it issued its final <a href="https://nationalplanningcommission.wordpress.com/the-work-of-the-commission-2/">National Development Plan</a> in 2012. The plan is the country’s blueprint for fixing its problems.</p>
<p>I define a capable state as a system of government that functions with relative autonomy from narrow ideological interests. Its parts work in a coordinated fashion to achieve clearly defined goals. It conducts its work efficiently and is effective in delivering services and critical economic infrastructure. </p>
<p>The core function of a state is to mobilise resources to meet its developmental challenges and manage long-term social and economic change. A capable state, with autonomy from political factions, is best placed to respond to changes and harness opportunities for development. Such states value innovation, human capital and merit. They emphasise economic performance, education, health care and infrastructure.</p>
<p>Currently, the South African state works in a fragmented manner and with no shared vision. </p>
<p>The reason it can’t deliver on its social and economic obligations lies in poor political choices and defective political management. Part of the problem is the relationship between the political machinery of the governing African National Congress (ANC) and the bureaucratic machinery of the state.</p>
<p>Adding to the challenge is that the ANC governs through a <a href="https://omalley.nelsonmandela.org/omalley/index.php/site/q/03lv02424/04lv02730/05lv03161.htm">tripartite alliance</a> with the South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions. These seek to influence government policy and decisions. </p>
<p>It is impossible to build state capabilities in a sustained manner without overcoming these many tensions. This requires a solid nerve centre – essentially the presidency. President Cyril Ramaphosa has massive political capital that he is under-using.</p>
<p>He needs to mobilise resources across the state towards achieving a defined set of strategic objectives and priorities. And he needs to stare down factional and ideological interests that circle the state and its agencies. He should then use his executive authority to translate his strategic objectives into measurable outcomes that make a noticeable difference in the economy and society. </p>
<p>The process currently under way to <a href="https://www.enca.com/news/ramaphosa-to-sign-performance-agreements-with-ministers">sign performance agreements</a> with government ministers is a step in the right direction. But, without any system for cracking the whip, this may fall apart as it did under Ramaphosa’s predecessor Jacob Zuma.</p>
<h2>Capacity constraints</h2>
<p>The severity of capacity and resource constraints varies across different levels of government. Some of these relate to <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321223498_The_African_National_Congress_ANC_and_the_Cadre_Deployment_Policy_in_the_Postapartheid_South_Africa_A_Product_of_Democratic_Centralisation_or_a_Recipe_for_a_Constitutional_Crisis">substandard political appointees</a>. As is clear from the Auditor General’s reports over the years, at the local government level capacity deficiencies are largely due to the <a href="https://www.agsa.co.za/Portals/0/Reports/MFMA/2019.06.25/MFMA2017-18%20-%20Section%201%20-%20Executive%20summary.pdf">absence of technical skills and execution failures</a>. And municipalities routinely <a href="https://mg.co.za/article/2019-06-26-financial-state-of-municipalities-has-worsened-ag/">disregard recommendations</a>.</p>
<p>Skills shortages are found in key areas such as project management, procurement and contract management as well as financial management. The ability to execute mandates and deliver services to communities is weak too. </p>
<p>Political management also matters when it comes to building great institutions – the other half of the equation of a capable state. Weak political management is clear from the parlous situation of state-owned enterprises, such as the power utility <a href="https://theconversation.com/south-africas-energy-crisis-has-triggered-lots-of-ideas-why-most-are-wrong-130298">Eskom</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/south-africa-in-unfamiliar-terrain-as-national-carrier-goes-into-business-rescue-128868">South African Airways</a>. </p>
<p>It’s also evident in defects in the institutions responsible for maintaining rule of law. It contributes to the tortuously slow grind of the <a href="https://sastatecapture.org.za/">Zondo Commission</a> into grand corruption, which has yet to result in any prosecutions. There are also ambiguities in policy decisions in key economic sectors such as information and communications technology, energy and <a href="https://www.fin24.com/Companies/Mining/junior-miners-feel-undermined-by-regulation-policy-uncertainty-minerals-council-20200205">mining</a>.</p>
<p>The calibre of politicians who preside over the state determines the norms and standards by which the bureaucratic machinery of the state functions. As the founding father of modern Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16248652-lee-kuan-yew">pointed out</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>To get good government, you must have good people in charge of government. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>A country can have institutions and policies that look good. But if there are no capable and ethical politicians who protect them, they are doomed to be ineffectual and not reach their full potential. It is impossible to build a capable state outside an acceptable ethical framework, and the necessary range of human capabilities at a country’s disposal. At the moment South Africa suffers capability deficiencies and institutional stasis due to poor political management.</p>
<h2>What next</h2>
<p>For President Ramaphosa, the important lever of statecraft for creating results in a democratic society is to act decisively in getting things done. This requires awareness of his power and authority, skills to read the political mood, and a strong urge to act decisively.</p>
<p>As the nerve centre of the state, he needs to signify acceptable norms and be hard on errant public officials. This should start with members of the executive who are underperforming. At the municipal and provincial levels, the centre needs to use fiscal tools to stop wastage and poor performance. </p>
<p>Effective leaders in government who lead through moments of crisis should immediately grasp the purposes and uses of power. They can achieve a great deal more through astute political management and centralised decision-making. They should focus on getting results rather than fixating on long processes of consultation as is the case in South Africa.</p>
<p>Finally, there are areas where government can achieve quick wins through well-structured partnerships to fix capacity deficiencies. </p>
<p>It can tap into the resources in the private sector. A number of mining companies, for example, could help build capabilities at the local government level. This could help address constraints in areas where their workers live. Such shared value may help improve the reputation of those companies.</p>
<p>We should, however, be careful of private sector firms and business leaders that are only interested in pursuing their narrow interests through proximity to political leadership. Partnerships with the private sector should be based on resolving clearly defined and specific challenges.</p>
<p>Building capabilities is key to retooling the state for higher performance. The starting point should be to fix political management at the centre.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/132132/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mzukisi Qobo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>South Africa suffers capability deficiencies and institutional stasis due to poor political management.Mzukisi Qobo, Head: Wits School of Governance (Designate), University of the WitwatersrandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1078942018-12-05T18:54:50Z2018-12-05T18:54:50ZDon’t be too quick to dismiss ‘dying trades’, those skills are still in demand<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/248880/original/file-20181204-34142-90zjgp.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Patternmaker Paul Kay is now used to the idea of working by himself.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jesse Stein</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>With the re-election of the Andrews government in Victoria, the <a href="https://www.vic.gov.au/freetafe/free-tafe.html?Redirect=1">Free TAFE for Priority Courses</a> policy will be rolled out in 2019. This is a positive step towards <a href="https://theconversation.com/free-tafe-in-victoria-who-benefits-and-why-other-states-should-consider-it-96102">repairing the TAFE system</a>, which has been damaged by years of funding cuts and competition with an unregulated private training sector.</p>
<p>One question moving forward is whether or not free TAFE will support manufacturing. Although Australian manufacturing now carries a stigma of decline, since 2016 productivity and employment in manufacturing has actually <a href="http://www.tai.org.au/sites/defualt/files/Stanford%20Swann%202017%20Manufacturing%20A%20Moment%20of%20Opportunity.pdf">increased</a>. But if we want to continue this upward trend, we must avoid being held back by a <a href="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/theausinstitute/pages/2829/attachments/original/1529900135/Advanced_Skills_for_Advanced_Manufacturing_Formatted.pdf?1529900135">lack of skilled workers</a> to supply this expansion. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tafe-helps-skills-shortage-more-than-private-providers-10906">TAFE helps skills shortage more than private providers</a>
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<p>It’s often assumed digital technologies have replaced traditional trades, and so we must focus our energies on STEM training. To some extent this is true, but right now Australia’s manufacturing skills shortage isn’t only about STEM. We also need skilled workers on the industrial craft side of the spectrum. That is, trades sometimes considered to be dying such as boilermaking, fitting and turning, moulding, toolmaking, and engineering patternmaking. </p>
<h2>The skills shortage in Australian foundries</h2>
<p>The skills shortage in the foundry sector is a clear example of this problem. Australian foundries make a wide variety of cast metal objects, including mining and agricultural equipment and railway parts. Secretary of the <a href="https://www.australianfoundryinstitute.com.au/">Australian Foundry Institute</a>, Joe Vecchio told me:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Everyone keeps saying foundries are a dinosaur industry, they’re dying. But every foundry is busy right now, and they want new apprentices. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>For many years, foundries have experienced difficulty finding qualified tradespeople and apprentices in engineering patternmaking and moulding. Many have resorted to using unskilled labour and providing in-house training. </p>
<p>These shortages haven’t been fully acknowledged on the <a href="https://www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au/sites/ausapps/files/publication-documents/nsnl.pdf">National Skills Needs List</a>. Although Victoria’s free TAFE program includes hints of manufacturing support, there are some notable gaps. </p>
<h2>What is engineering patternmaking and why does it matter?</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/5F06748296B2BBAECA257B9500131029?opendocument">Engineering patternmakers</a> use technical drawings to construct a 3D pattern (like a model), which is used to produce a mould for metal casting or plastics production. Patternmakers make patterns for objects as large as the buckets on the end of diggers and bulldozers, and as small as the moulds for glucose jube lollies.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/248886/original/file-20181204-34157-1chombc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/248886/original/file-20181204-34157-1chombc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=345&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248886/original/file-20181204-34157-1chombc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=345&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248886/original/file-20181204-34157-1chombc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=345&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248886/original/file-20181204-34157-1chombc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248886/original/file-20181204-34157-1chombc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248886/original/file-20181204-34157-1chombc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A pattern for bear-shaped jubes, made by W.G. Kay & Co.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jesse Adams Stein</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>While traditionally trained as woodworkers, patternmakers today are trained to use a range of materials and technologies, including computer aided design (digital drafting software known as CAD) and CNC machines (computer-numerically-controlled machine tools that use digital data to direct a machine on multiple axes).</p>
<p>Two things make patternmakers valuable for a thriving manufacturing sector: versatility and precision. Patternmakers aren’t tied to a single industry, and they are sticklers for dimensional accuracy. Patternmakers’ materials and production knowledge means their advice to designers and manufacturers can result in a far more successful final product. </p>
<p>Right now, only seven apprentices are undertaking a patternmaking apprenticeship in Australia. To give you some idea of this disparity, Australia has approximately <a href="https://joboutlook.gov.au/Occupation.aspx?search=&code=3234">4,200 qualified patternmakers and toolmakers</a> currently working in a variety of industries associated with metals and plastics production. The situation is similar for moulders. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/to-fix-higher-education-funding-we-also-need-to-fix-vocational-education-102634">To fix higher education funding, we also need to fix vocational education</a>
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<p>The only remaining apprentice training location for patternmakers and moulders is <a href="https://international.tafeqld.edu.au/study-with-us/locations/skillstech">TAFE SkillsTech</a>, in Brisbane. One of the barriers for employers taking on new apprentices is sending them to Queensland for block training. If you run a foundry in Tasmania, for instance, it costs a lot to send an apprentice to Queensland if you factor in travel, accommodation and meals. Added to this is the challenge of sending 16-year-olds - almost exclusively boys - on their own. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/248888/original/file-20181204-34122-1pppkvy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/248888/original/file-20181204-34122-1pppkvy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/248888/original/file-20181204-34122-1pppkvy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=794&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248888/original/file-20181204-34122-1pppkvy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=794&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248888/original/file-20181204-34122-1pppkvy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=794&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248888/original/file-20181204-34122-1pppkvy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=998&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248888/original/file-20181204-34122-1pppkvy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=998&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248888/original/file-20181204-34122-1pppkvy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=998&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The patternmaking process.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tim Wighton</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For foundry and patternmaking employers outside Brisbane, taking on new apprentices often isn’t worth the expense or the stress. </p>
<p>Patternmaking business owner <a href="https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/7765725?lookfor=author:%22kay%20paul%201954-%22%20AND%20title:%22paul%20kay%20interviewed%20by%20jesse%20adams%20stein%20in%20reshaping%20australian%20manufacturing%20oral%20history%20project%22&offset=1&max=1">Paul Kay</a>, after a failed attempt to send an apprentice to Queensland said he had just started getting used to the idea of working by himself. </p>
<p>Another patternmaking business owner, <a href="https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/7765727?lookfor=my_parent:%22(AuCNL)7540760%22&offset=5&max=9">Peter Phipps</a> said he might have to look overseas to employ someone, which he feels is too much hassle. </p>
<p>Presently some foundries are resorting to informally upskilling carpenters and cabinetmakers in patternmaking. But this approach carries risks. Other people from other trades may be very good at Computer Aided Design, but don’t necessarily understand patternmaking concepts like metal shrinkage and other intricacies of moulding and casting processes. </p>
<h2>What can be done?</h2>
<p>The decline of foundry trades isn’t a natural result of market economics or automation. The market demand is there. It was a political choice to ignore these skills, and it can be a political choice to revive them. It’s encouraging to see the free TAFE program supports a <a href="https://www.skills.vic.gov.au/victorianskillsgateway/students/pages/coursesearchdescription.aspx?type=course&keyword=certificate%20ii%20in%20engineering%20pathways&courseid=11204&14=1&utm_source=freetafe.vic.gov.au&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=freetafe2018&utm_term=certificate-ii-in-engineering-pathways&utm_content=construction-infrastructure-apprenticeship-pathway">Certificate II in Engineering Pathways</a>, for instance, but this is a baby step.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/248889/original/file-20181204-34125-1p32jjb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/248889/original/file-20181204-34125-1p32jjb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248889/original/file-20181204-34125-1p32jjb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248889/original/file-20181204-34125-1p32jjb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248889/original/file-20181204-34125-1p32jjb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248889/original/file-20181204-34125-1p32jjb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248889/original/file-20181204-34125-1p32jjb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A pattern and casting made using the pattern.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Peter White, Dolman Pattern & Model Makers</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In the immediate term, apprenticeships in the foundry sector must be made more attractive by providing adequate government funding for apprentices to attend training in Queensland. This would support their travel and safe housing on campus, and be customised to meet the unique educational and social needs of teenage apprentices. </p>
<p>Moving into the future, the survival of engineering patternmaking – among other trades – must be taken seriously, rather than written off as already redundant. If funded and prepared adequately, apprentice training could be revived at a state-based TAFE level, with an emphasis on merging digital fabrication skills with traditional craft knowledge.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-needs-to-do-more-to-arrest-the-decline-in-apprenticeships-47942">Australia needs to do more to arrest the decline in apprenticeships</a>
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<p>If we let industrial craft disappear, the ramifications will abound in the products themselves. High quality manufacturing requires high quality workmanship – without those skills, production will be wasteful and full of rejects. Australian manufacturing will gain a reputation for unreliable production.</p>
<iframe width="100%" height="200" src="https://player.whooshkaa.com/player/episode/id/308702?visual=true&sharing=true" frameborder="0" style="width: 100%; height: 200px"></iframe>
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<p><em>To learn more about engineering patternmaking and the craft shadows of manufacturing, listen to the newly released <a href="https://historylab.net/">HistoryLab</a> podcast episode, <a href="https://historylab.net/s2ep2-invisible-hands/">Invisible Hands</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/107894/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jesse Adams Stein receives funding from the UTS Chancellor's Postdoctoral Research Fellowship and the National Library of Australia, Canberra. She was the collaborating historian for the History Lab podcast, Invisible Hands.</span></em></p>The skills shortage in the foundry sector shows there is a continuing demand for “traditional” trades.Jesse Adams Stein, Chancellor's Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Faculty of Design, Architecture & Building, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/746312018-10-04T09:19:49Z2018-10-04T09:19:49ZUniversities must look at local employment markets when building their graduates’ skills<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/239168/original/file-20181003-52688-17cspsx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Job seeking.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/single-college-graduate-gown-holding-hire-355358555?src=rl19rEfelzgEyUBsLbDhWA-1-1">Creatista/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Students are often reminded that a degree is “not enough”, and that they will also need “employability skills” – <a href="https://www.academia.edu/27938172/Being_Employed_Re-Thinking_Employability_Discourses_in_the_University?auto=download">a complex combination</a> of personal attributes, discipline-specific knowledge and generic talents – to succeed after university. They are encouraged while studying to develop skills such as problem solving, self-management and the ability to work as part of a team. </p>
<p>All valid attributes yes, but this view is based on the idea that graduates are young and highly mobile. But the truth is that not all graduates will want to – or be able to – leave their university town or city, <a href="https://www.hecsu.ac.uk/assets/assets/documents/University_of_salford_uncertain_transitions_2017.pdf">especially females and graduates from low-income backgrounds</a>. </p>
<p>As Brexit looms, advocacy organisation Univerisites UK has suggested that increased local graduate retention could ease current and potentially upcoming <a href="https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/policy-and-analysis/reports/Documents/2017/graduate-retention-meeting-local-skills-needs.pdf">skills shortages in the UK</a>. Yet the research to date shows that cities across the UK face a big challenge when it comes to <a href="http://www.centreforcities.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/16-11-18-The-Great-British-Brain-Drain.pdf">attracting and retaining</a> graduate talent. In <a href="https://luminate.prospects.ac.uk/the-reality-of-graduate-migration">2016</a>, only 58% of that year’s graduates went on to work in the area in which they took their degree. </p>
<p>One major hurdle to graduate retention comes down to the skills that local employers actually need from prospective staff. Just like it is not enough to have a degree, it is not enough to teach all graduates a generic skillset and hope for the best. Required skills can vary greatly from region to region, with some – like the ability to drive – proving pointless in areas with, for example, good public transport links. In north Wales, where I conducted my own <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Graduate-Careers-in-Context-Research-Policy-and-Practice/Christie-Burke/p/book/9781138301764">research</a> into the issue of graduate retention, the most valuable skills for a graduate to have on top of their degree are access to local networks, having their own transport and Welsh language skills.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/235220/original/file-20180906-190662-10x1eae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/235220/original/file-20180906-190662-10x1eae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/235220/original/file-20180906-190662-10x1eae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/235220/original/file-20180906-190662-10x1eae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/235220/original/file-20180906-190662-10x1eae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/235220/original/file-20180906-190662-10x1eae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/235220/original/file-20180906-190662-10x1eae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Interview day.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/confident-millennial-female-applicant-glasses-talking-1086491831?src=pyP_eh2WS67HjJJX4oGWiQ-1-33">fizkes/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>Staying local</h2>
<p>Social contacts and contacts from former employment can help a graduate seeking to stay in their university town, but the close connections that come from going to school together and living in the same neighbourhoods are invaluable. When employers seek to fill vacancies, they can rely on who a candidate knows to infer the potential worker’s underlying ability. </p>
<p>That’s not to say “who you know” is always better than “what you know”. Not all members of a community will know the “right” people who can provide access to employment opportunities after all. And graduates from low income backgrounds often find their contacts are limited because their parents have no experience of the graduate labour market and the types of roles that they would be applying for.</p>
<p>This kind of social capital can be developed both as a student and a graduate. I have been working with Sociologists Outside Academia, a group within the British Sociological Association, to design an <a href="http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2018/05/04/applying-the-sociological-imagination-a-toolkit-for-tomorrows-graduates/">“applied sociology” curriculum</a>. The aim of this curriculum is to equip students with the skills, knowledge and professional outlook required to improve workplaces, organisations and communities. One of our recommended assessments would see students working on a local community problem, with the opportunity to pitch a proposal to a client verbally and in writing. </p>
<p>After graduation from universities in Wales, there are schemes such as the Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarships (KESS 2), a project supported by European Social Funds (ESF) through the Welsh Government, led by Bangor University. KESS 2 provides opportunities for graduates to build professional networks, and for funded PhD and research masters study in collaboration with an active business or company partner.</p>
<h2>Language skills</h2>
<p>Another skill of particular importance to the graduates I spoke to in north Wales was the Welsh language. <a href="https://www.northwalescollaborative.wales/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/NW-Population-Assessment-Full-Report-1-April-2017.pdf">Over half of the population</a> in some areas of north Wales speak Welsh. And there is concerted action by the Welsh government to double the number of Welsh speakers <a href="http://www.assembly.wales/Laid%20Documents/GEN-LD11108/GEN-LD11108-e.pdf">to one million</a> by 2050. </p>
<p>On top of this, <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Graduate-Careers-in-Context-Research-Policy-and-Practice/Christie-Burke/p/book/9781138301764">71% of employers in Wales</a> have stated that Welsh language skills (written and oral) were desirable for jobs in their companies. And that there is a <a href="http://www.careerswales.com/en/spotlight-on-tourism-hospitality-and-leisure/">shortage of bilingually skilled staff</a> in graduate occupations such as nursing and in the tourism industry. </p>
<p>While current graduates who went to school in Wales will have had some form of Welsh language education, not all would regard themselves as speakers of the language. And even among bilinguals, <a href="http://www.beaufortresearch.co.uk/BBQ01260eng.pdf">proficiency in written and oral communication can vary widly</a>. Research has suggested that while bilingualism is not the preserve of elites, disadvantaged households in Wales may believe that their form of bilingualism is <a href="https://wiserd.ac.uk/publications/welsh-speakers-and-welsh-language-provision-within-public-sector">inappropriate for professional environments</a>. </p>
<p>Many of my interviewees felt a lack of confidence in their Welsh skills. They felt that the Welsh they spoke at home was not the same as the more formal Welsh needed for employment purposes. There may be further problems too for those graduates of Welsh universities who did not go to school in Wales, and have had no Welsh language education. </p>
<p>Clearly, universities need to support their graduates by not just focusing on generic employability skills, but by looking at the regional economy. By taking into account what local employers might want from graduates, institutions can start to address the financial, academic and social hurdles that modern graduates, particularly those who have reached university through a non-traditional route, have to face.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/74631/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Teresa Crew receives funding from Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)</span></em></p>Having a good degree is not always enough to succeed.Teresa Crew, Lecturer in Social Policy, Bangor UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/714072017-01-19T19:06:54Z2017-01-19T19:06:54ZAustralia needs to invest if it wants the tourism boom to continue<p>Tourism has been the good news story for Australia’s economy over the past year. The latest numbers show <a href="http://www.tourism.australia.com/statistics/arrivals.aspx">8.2 million international tourists</a> visited Australia in the year to November. This is an 11.4% increase on the year before. Domestic tourism also grew 7% during this period. </p>
<p>Australia’s inbound tourism growth is almost triple the <a href="http://mkt.unwto.org/barometer">world average of 3.9%</a>. Much of this growth came from NE Asia and North America with China, South Korea, Japan and the USA among Australia’s fastest growing source markets.</p>
<p>There are a few reasons for this. Including a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com.au/the-australian-dollar-is-weaker-as-geopolitical-concerns-mount-2017-1">lower Australian dollar</a>, <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/business/retail/flight-centre-issues-new-profit-warning-as-airfares-hit-record-lows-20161104-gsi2zc.html">record low airfares</a> and a <a href="http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/safety-and-security-is-australian-tourisms-main-strength-in-an-uncertain-world/news-story/897b93792b281b07c42cec024fa55c10">perception of safety</a> in an increasingly unsafe world.</p>
<p>But while tourism looks bright for Australia, this rapid growth has revealed underlying problems. There is a significant shortage of trained and qualified people to service the growing number of tourists, and infrastructure in parts of the industry has failed to keep up with tourism demand. </p>
<p>If Australia wants to continue enjoying the benefits of its tourism boom, it needs to address these issues.</p>
<h2>Skills</h2>
<p>A <a href="https://www.tra.gov.au/documents/Australian_Tourism_Labour_Force_FINAL.PDF">Tourism Australia report</a>, warned back in 2015 that there was a shortage of 38,000 people in all areas of the tourism industry. If there were no major policy changes this could blow out to over 120,000 people by 2020. </p>
<p>You may think that tourism is made up of unskilled jobs such as waiters, room cleaners, kitchen staff and bellhops. Important as these jobs are, the tourism industry requires people at all skill levels. These include airline pilots, tour guides, computer programmers and a myriad of other jobs. <a href="http://www.tra.gov.au/documents/Australian_Tourism_Labour_Force_FINAL.PDF">For every ten unskilled positions</a> there is also one at management and supervisory level. </p>
<p>Many of the 2,000 tourism businesses surveyed in the Tourism Australia research <a href="http://www.tra.gov.au/documents/Australian_Tourism_Labour_Force_FINAL.PDF">found it difficult</a> to recruit appropriately experienced or trained staff to fill vacancies. </p>
<p>The industry has addressed some of these issues by hiring or retaining more experienced employees, some of whom had come out of retirement. Many unskilled positions <a href="http://www.tra.gov.au/documents/Australian_Tourism_Labour_Force_FINAL.PDF">are being filled by foreign workers on 457 visas</a> and there is a high reliance on working holiday visa holders, especially for many of the industry’s seasonal jobs.</p>
<p>But there is an urgent need to upgrade and promote tourism and hospitality training at all levels of education. The TAFE sector, which has traditionally been a major source of vocational training, <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/tafe-nsw-funding-to-be-cut-to-half-as-more-dollars-pushed-to-private-colleges-20151211-gllo5c.html">has seen its funding cut</a> by successive governments in recent years. TAFE’s place has been largely taken by high fee private colleges. However, <a href="https://www.studiesinaustralia.com/why-study-in-australia/international-students-in-australia">many of their students are international students</a> and a significant portion of them will take their new skills back to their home countries.</p>
<h2>Infrastructure</h2>
<p>There are three urgent infrastructure needs in the Australian tourism industry. </p>
<p>First, there is a <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/business/property/marriott-international-hotel-group-to-call-more-of-australia-home-20161102-gsg9k6">shortage</a> of upmarket (4 & 5 star) hotel accommodation in Australia’s major gateway and business cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth). While the overall hotel occupancy rate for Australia is <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8635.0">about 65%</a> the occupancy rates for luxury and business hotels in these key cities is <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/au/en/pages/consumer-business/articles/tourism-hotel-outlook.html">closer to 90%</a>. This means during peak periods it is almost impossible to find a 4-5 star hotel room in a major CBD.</p>
<p>The shortage of upmarket accommodation has been a contributing factor to a <a href="https://www.tourism.australia.com/statistics/arrivals.aspx">stagnant</a> market in business travel to Australia. This is a stark contrast to the strong growth of holiday travel. </p>
<p>Second, according to Cruise Lines International Association the Australian cruise market has <a href="http://www.cruising.org/docs/default-source/research/2016_clia_sotci.pdf">grown more than six fold</a> in the past decade. This rapid growth has created a <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/sydneyports-bottleneck-stirs-up-a-storm/news-story/369cdfc58766cb976da5ead7cd9214f6">shortage of port facilities</a>, especially in Australia’s most popular cruise embarkation and destination port, Sydney. Unless Sydney is able to offer a third dedicated cruise terminal soon, growth opportunities will be limited.</p>
<p>Finally, a longer term issue is the glacial progress towards a high speed rail link between Brisbane and Melbourne via Sydney and Canberra. To date, Australia’s major airports have successfully managed the growth of international and domestic passenger numbers and new airline services. However, high speed rail could relieve pressure on airports. Australia has spent decades debating the pros and cons of high speed rail, while rail China <a href="https://qz.com/292321/china-is-on-track-to-build-high-speed-rail-in-just-about-every-corner-of-the-world/">builds 1,500 kms of track</a> every year. </p>
<h2>What to do about it</h2>
<p>Tourism is a balancing act between creating demand and ensuring the supply of both human resources and infrastructure. Clearly, there is still much to achieve to strike the balance. </p>
<p>The private sector is chipping away at the shortage of upmarket accommodation in Australia’s major cities, with <a href="https://www.accomnews.com.au/2016/11/room-boom-set-to-change-face-of-australian-hotel-sector/">several thousand</a> new hotel rooms due to come online over the next few years. However, unlike many of Australia’s neighbours, such as <a href="https://www.edb.gov.sg/content/edb/en/why-singapore/ready-to-invest/incentives-for-businesses.html">Singapore</a> and <a href="http://www.mida.gov.my/home/invest-in-malaysia/posts/">Malaysia</a>, Australia offers few development and investment incentives to develop accommodation.</p>
<p>Both federal and state governments need to invest more resources in promoting tourism careers, tourism education and training at both the vocational and higher education levels. This includes means-based assistance for young Australians to undertake training and education at nationally accredited training and educational institutions.</p>
<p>Tourism has been treated by Australian governments as a cash cow, with little investment. The fragmented nature of the industry has meant it has lacked the political clout of industries such as mining or agriculture.</p>
<p>As one of Australia’s fastest growing sectors, tourism is long overdue for a level of government investment which matches its contribution to economic growth and employment.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/71407/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Beirman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As Australia’s fastest growing economic sector, tourism is long overdue for a level of government investment which matches its contribution to economic growth and employment.David Beirman, Senior Lecturer, Tourism, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/494702015-11-04T04:02:49Z2015-11-04T04:02:49ZWhat South Africa is doing to make a dent in cyber crime<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/100540/original/image-20151102-16507-8enwxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Phishing is a growing problem across Africa. South Africa has the highest number of victims. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Last year South Africa had the <a href="http://www.capetalk.co.za/articles/3231/why-is-south-africa-vulnerable-to-cyber-attacks">most</a> <a href="http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=143446">cyber attacks</a> of any country on the continent. In 2014, <a href="http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=143499:How-vulnerable-is-SA-s-ICT-infrastructure-&catid=234">losses</a> reached an <a href="http://www.politicsweb.co.za/news-and-analysis/on-cybersecurity-in-south-africa--david-mahlobo">estimated</a> R5 billion annually through cyber crime. The year before, the Norton Report <a href="http://www.symantec.com/content/en/us/about/presskits/b-norton-report-2013-south-africa.pdf">rated</a> South Africa third on the list of the number of cyber victims in the world. Russia and China topped the list.</p>
<p>It is difficult to objectively determine the level of cyber crime in South Africa as there is currently no legal requirement to report cyber-related crimes. </p>
<p>But there is general acceptance that the country faces a major challenge. South Africa’s <a href="http://www.politicsweb.co.za/news-and-analysis/on-cybersecurity-in-south-africa--david-mahlobo">laws</a> have been improved to deal with emerging threats in cyber space. This was underscored by the recent tabling of the <a href="http://www.justice.gov.za/legislation/invitations/CyberCrimesBill2015.pdf">Cybercrime and Cybersecurity Bill</a>.</p>
<p>The number of data protection laws in Africa has also <a href="http://www.michalsons.co.za/focus-areas/privacy-and-data-protection/data-protection-laws-africa">increased</a>. But only after they have been implemented can further studies be done to check how successful they have been. </p>
<p>In addition, the African Union last year accepted the <a href="http://pages.au.int/sites/default/files/en_AU%20Convention%20on%20CyberSecurity%20Pers%20Data%20Protec%20AUCyC%20adopted%20Malabo.pdf">Convention on Cyber Security and the Protection of Personal Information</a>. Though far from perfect, the convention highlights the African Union’s concern with cyber issues. There have not been any real developments over the last year even though most, if not all, member countries have signed the convention.</p>
<h2>Criticism of the bill</h2>
<p>The South African bill defines a wide range of cyber crimes and proposes a range of penalties for infractions. It also creates a number of cyber structures that would provide a wide range of services. </p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.gov.za/speeches/minister-siyabonga-cwele-launch-cybersecurity-hub-30-oct-2015-0000">cyber hub</a> allows anyone to report any cyber crime. All complaints will be investigated. The complainant will receive feedback. The cyber hub will also, for example, provide cyber-awareness campaigns in South Africa.</p>
<p>In theory, the bill is a step forward for South Africa, making the country more cyber-safe. But serious criticism can be levelled at some aspects of it. The most important is the cyber capacity challenge. Does South Africa have the knowledge and expertise in the cyber field to properly implement the bill?</p>
<p>Cybercapacity <a href="https://www.poweradmin.com/blog/considering-the-shortage-of-cyber-security-professionals/">skills</a> are scarce internationally. South Africa is also facing a challenge. </p>
<p>To properly and efficiently implement the bill, there must be a massive national initiative to develop the necessary skills. For such capacity-building, there needs to be political will. And financial resources are required. </p>
<p>Without these, the bill, if enacted, will only look good on paper, and not have the desired effect. </p>
<p>Another negative aspect of the proposed legislation is the decentralisation of cyber-related responsibilities to a number of government departments. This is likely to create a silo-based approach to cyber governance. It will lead to inefficiencies and duplication of effort. By combining some, or all, of the new structures in the bill, scarce technical resources should be better used.</p>
<h2>End users are the weakest link</h2>
<p>Most enterprises in South Africa, especially banks, have been <a href="http://www.fanews.co.za/article/banking/35/general/1223/sa-s-banking-industry-concerned-about-political-intervention-technology-risks-and-cybercrime-according-to-pwc-study/16033">hardest hit</a> by cyber crimes. They have launched consumer awareness <a href="http://www.banking.org.za/consumer-information/bank-crime/phishing-scams">initiatives</a> and spent large amounts of money on <a href="http://www.banking.org.za/consumer-information/bank-crime/atm-fraud">cyber security</a>. </p>
<p>As a result, would-be cyber criminals turn their attention to the weakest link in the cyber chain: the end user, a lucrative and often naïve target. All types of socially engineered attack methods are used to lure the end user into a situation where personal login information is compromised. This happens not only for financial transactions, but also for social networks and other applications.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.sabric.co.za/media-and-news/posts/banking-industry-launches-protection-of-personal-information-campaign/">business</a> sector, <a href="http://www.justice.gov.za/cybersafety/cybersafety.html">government</a> and <a href="http://www.ngopulse.org/category/tags/cybercrimes">non-governmental</a> sector in South Africa have been involved in consumer education interventions, the results of which can be measured in time. </p>
<p>The biggest efforts are centred around phishing. Phishing is a method of deceitfully obtaining personal information such as passwords, identity numbers, credit card details and sometimes – indirectly – money. </p>
<p>Typically, phishing emails request that users obtain, verify or update contact details or other sensitive financial information by clicking on a link in the email that directs users to a spoofed website (a website designed by criminals to fool users into thinking that it is legitimate). </p>
<p>Elsewhere on the continent, Angola and Mozambique have recently been subjected to an increase in <a href="http://hub-nl.insight.com/i/542066-symantec-internet-security-threat-report-volume-20/55">phishing</a> attacks. One recent target in Mozambique was a major African financial institution. Customers received an email, appearing to come from a bank in Mozambique. The email subject read “Mensagens & alertas: 1 nova mensagem!” (Messages & alerts: 1 new message!). A URL contained within the body of the text led to a fake version of the bank’s website. It asked the target to enter the banking details that would allow the attacker to take over the account. </p>
<p>One of the main dangers of phishing is the ease with which attackers can set up scam sites. And their modus operandi seems clear – follow the money to unsuspecting consumers. </p>
<p>That is why establishing the legal platform to fight cyber crime is an urgent necessity, accompanied by public awareness campaigns. But South Africa, along with the rest of the continent, still has a mountain to climb in policing cyber crime.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/49470/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Basie von Solms does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Cyber security has been identified as a global challenge, with Africa facing renewed threats through increasing internet use across many platforms.Basie von Solms, Director, Centre for Cyber Security, University of JohannesburgLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/422742015-07-10T04:31:09Z2015-07-10T04:31:09ZVocational training is not an easy alternative to formal schooling<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/87138/original/image-20150702-11331-1ardmw6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C14%2C995%2C750&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Vocational training shouldn't be dismissed as an easy, lazy alternative to completing formal schooling.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">From www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>South Africa’s Department of Basic Education has a plan to address the country’s youth unemployment <a href="http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2015/06/29/Extent-of-SAs-skills-shortage-laid-bare">crisis</a> and its <a href="http://mg.co.za/article/2015-05-18-sas-skills-deficit-has-a-negative-effect-on-employment">skills shortage</a>. A task team established by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has proposed that learners who leave the formal school system at the end of Grade 9 be awarded an exit certificate.</p>
<p>This General Education and Training Certificate (GETC) will allow learners to quit after Grade 9 – their average age then is around 15 or 16 – and be absorbed into vocational streams. These are <a href="http://www.fetcolleges.co.za/">Technical and Vocational Education and Training</a> colleges, technical high schools, apprenticeships or other work-based programmes.</p>
<p>Motshekga’s rationale is framed by the highly problematic belief that vocational education programmes are less academically demanding and are therefore a suitable alternative to the academic curriculum in schools. Modern vocational programmes must <a href="http://mg.co.za/article/2012-11-14-vocational-educational-not-an-option-for-losers">prepare</a> students for complex work which demands a skills and knowledge mix that is different but not necessarily easier than school subjects. </p>
<h2>Science, maths are crucial</h2>
<p>South Africa’s maths and science results are <a href="http://africacheck.org/reports/is-sa-bottom-of-the-class-in-maths-and-science-why-ranking-is-meaningless/">extremely poor</a>. But joining the vocational stream won’t help learners avoid these tough subjects. Both are part of the curriculum for National Certificate Vocational programmes in engineering fields like Electrical Infrastructure Construction. They are required for admission to many of the programmes that link to certified trades like electrician or boilermaker. Mathematics or <a href="http://www.thoughtleader.co.za/readerblog/2012/01/09/maths-vs-maths-literacy-the-continuing-debate/">mathematical literacy</a> is a compulsory subject in all vocational programmes.</p>
<p>This is because, increasingly, artisans need to be able to <a href="http://www.oecd.org/edu/skills-beyond-school/LearningForJobsPointersfor%20PolicyDevelopment.pdf">analyse and solve problems</a>, taking a range of social, ethical and environmental factors into account. Mechanics must understand modern automobiles’ complex systems – an interplay between electronics, software and mechanical aspects. This requires some understanding of maths and science. </p>
<p>Umalusi, the quality council responsible for both the mainstream National Senior Certificate (Matric) and the existing National Certificate Vocational, has <a href="http://www.umalusi.org.za/docs/assurance/2010/f_ncv_report.pdf">compared</a> the cognitive demand in these common subjects in the two qualifications. </p>
<p>It found that the demand was similar and in some cases more intense in the vocational programme. This means that sending learners who aren’t coping with formal schooling into vocational streams may be shifting some of the problem – but is not really addressing it.</p>
<h2>Alternative solutions</h2>
<p>The task team’s proposal actually just formalises an existing practice. Although most Technical and Vocational Education and Training college students enrol only once they’ve completed formal schooling, the colleges are already accepting students who have completed Grade 9 or higher but not obtained a National Senior Certificate into most programmes. </p>
<p>Some in the sector have questioned whether the colleges are equipped to deal with such young students. They do not have the support systems and structured time management that good secondary schools do. Given Umalusi’s findings, it must also be asked whether the existing National Certificate Vocational is an appropriate curriculum for the type of youngsters who leave formal school after Grade 9.</p>
<p>The Department of Basic Education is <a href="http://www.education.gov.za/Newsroom/Speeches/tabid/298/ctl/Details/mid/1749/ItemID/3288/Default.aspx">investing</a> in the country’s technical high schools and there is discussion in the schooling sector about whether these might be better placed to offer the National Certificate Vocational. The teachers are trained for this age group and the schools are geared towards a full time teenage student. </p>
<p>Historically, colleges have catered for students who are older, often in apprenticeships or already employed. This makes them better suited to a dual system of training that is linked more directly to workplaces.</p>
<p>This is not to say there’s no value in a General Education and Training Certificate. It will improve South Africa’s <a href="http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/47-quit-school-at-Grade-10-20140110">very high</a> dropout statistics from the last three years of the school system. The country has <a href="http://www.childrencount.ci.org.za/indicator.php?id=6&indicator=15">almost universal enrolment</a> up to Grade 9, but these figures nose dive in subsequent grades. </p>
<p>The <a href="http://mg.co.za/article/2012-01-04-all-eyes-on-matric-pass-rate-but-warnings-to-look-deeper">annual obsession</a> with Matric pass rates completely misses the fact that only half ever made it to the final exams. These are the young people without prospects whom everyone is so concerned about. A General Education and Training Certificate would give these young people a piece of paper that alters them from “school dropout” to someone with a qualification.</p>
<p>But will this make any difference to those youngsters? For some it may offer access to an alternative education pathway in the colleges, but not on the scale that is required and many will find it equally difficult to succeed academically. </p>
<p>There may be a few employers who will recruit someone into an entry level job if they have a GETC, but given that the Matric certificate itself has <a href="http://www.moneyweb.co.za/archive/education-and-employment-in-south-africa/">little currency</a> in the labour market it is highly unlikely that a lower level GETC will be recognised. </p>
<p>The most promising solution may lie with the yet-to-be established community colleges where programmes ranging from an adult matric to vocational and skills courses will be offered. But these colleges are <a href="http://www.news24.com/Archives/City-Press/SA-gets-community-colleges-20150429">in their infancy</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/42274/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Volker Wedekind's Research Chair is supported by the ETDP SETA and he receives research funding from the Department of Higher Education and Training via the Human Sciences Research Council. He is a member of the Higher Education Quality Council National Reviews Committee and the Umalusi Research Forum. He does not represent the views of any of the above organisations.</span></em></p>Modern vocational programmes must prepare students for complex work which demands a skills and knowledge mix that is different but not necessarily easier than school subjects.Volker Wedekind, Research Chair in Vocational Education and Pedagogy , University of the WitwatersrandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/384162015-03-12T03:23:40Z2015-03-12T03:23:40ZCyber security winners will be those that nurture talent<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/73869/original/image-20150304-1952-115xlq2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The supply side of information security professionals is not keeping up with the demand.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Image sourced from Shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The United Kingdom has estimated the global cyber security industry to be worth around US$200 billion per annum, and has created a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/275566/UKTI_Cyber_Security_Brochure.pdf">strategy</a> to place UK industry at the forefront of the global cyber security supply base, helping countries to combat cybercrime, cyber terrorism and state-sponsored espionage.</p>
<p>Likewise, the United States government is facilitating <a href="http://www.export.gov/trademissions/cybersecureeurope/">trade missions</a> to emerging markets for companies that provide cyber security, critical infrastructure protection, and emergency management technology equipment and services with the goal of increasing US exports of these products and services.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Australia is going through yet another iteration of a domestic <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/2014-11-27/cyber-security-review-0">cyber security review</a>. Australia can’t afford to wait any longer to both enhance domestic capability and grasp international leadership.</p>
<p>The recent Australian debate about the government’s proposed data retention scheme has seen heavy focus on the security aspects of collecting, retaining and where authorised, distributing such data.</p>
<p>But much of this debate masks the broader issue facing the information security industry.</p>
<h2>Failing to keep up</h2>
<p>The constant evolution of the online environment presents cyber threats which are constantly evolving with increasing volume, intensity and complexity.</p>
<p>While organisations of all shapes and sizes are considering spending more money on cyber security, the supply side of information security professionals is not keeping up with the current, let alone future demand. High schools are not encouraging enough students (<a href="https://theconversation.com/study-finds-more-girls-opting-out-of-maths-and-science-12221">particularly girls</a>) to get interested in the traditional STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects. The higher education and vocational sectors are likewise not creating enough coursework and research options to appeal to aspiring students who are faced with evermore study options.</p>
<p>One example of the types of programs needed to address the shortage is the Australian Government’s annual <a href="https://cyberchallenge.com.au/index.html">Cyber Security Challenge</a> which is designed to attract talented people to become the next generation of information security professionals. The 2014 Challenge saw 55 teams from 22 Australian higher education institutions take part. At 200 students, this is but a drop in the ocean given what is required.</p>
<p>Even for those who graduate in this field, there is a lack of formal mentoring programs (again particularly for girls), and those which are available are often fragmented and insufficiently resourced. The information security industry is wide and varied, catering for all interests and many skill sets. It is not just for technical experts but also for professionals from other disciplines such as management, accounting, legal, etc, who could make mid-career moves adding to the diversity of thinking within the industry.</p>
<p>More and more organisations are adopting technology to create productivity gains, improve service delivery and drive untapped market opportunities. Their success, or otherwise, will hinge on a large pool of talented information security professionals.</p>
<p>We need to attract more people into cyber security roles. Universities need to produce graduates who understand the relationship between the organisation they work for, its people, its IT assets and the kinds of adversaries and threats they are facing. The vocational education sector needs to train technically adept people in real-world situations where a hands-on approach will enable them to better combat cyber attacks in their future employment roles. </p>
<p>Industry associations should focus on their sector - analysing the emerging information security trends and issues, and the governance surrounding information security strategy - to determine their own unique skills gap. </p>
<p>The government should develop a code of best practice for women in information security in collaboration with industry leaders, promoting internal and external mentoring services.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/38416/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nigel Phair does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As the US and UK look to the opportunities presented by cybersecurity, Australia is still dealing with a critical skills shortage.Nigel Phair, Director, Centre for Internet Safety, University of CanberraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/303472014-08-11T20:25:45Z2014-08-11T20:25:45ZAustralia has outsourced migration policy to the private sector<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/56116/original/n27r3y3f-1407722141.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The government focus on economic migration has meant increased private sector power over who becomes Australian.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kit/Flickr</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australia’s migration policy has shifted significantly in the past 20 years, leaving a system subject to widespread <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/national/border-farce-rampant-visa-rorting-going-unchecked-20140806-3d8xs.html">rorting</a> and controversy. </p>
<p>If there is a single lesson to be learnt from the revelations of rorting in the 457 visa system, it is that Australia’s migration programs need to be opened up to greater scrutiny, and that government, not the private sector should drive migration policy. A dedicated low skilled work visa with appropriate labour market testing could be a step in the right direction. </p>
<h2>How we got here</h2>
<p>The burgeoning of Australia’s temporary migration program, with a growing focus on skilled migrants, reflects the changing focus of successive federal governments.</p>
<p>The first shift has seen the permanent migration program evolve from one with a focus on family and humanitarian migration to economic migration. </p>
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<p>A second big shift has been the introduction of temporary pathways for migrants to work in Australia. In recent years, 100,000 – 135,000 temporary migrants have been admitted annually, mainly through the subclass 457 temporary visa scheme. These migrants are employer sponsored, and are entitled to work for 4 years. </p>
<p>Although the government determines a list of skilled occupations temporary migrants must possess to be sponsored, it is employers who determine how many migrants within any particular occupation actually enter Australia. We have <a href="https://theconversation.com/there-is-a-simple-solution-to-the-457-visa-impasse-15408">written in The Conversation before</a> about how this skilled occupation list is highly problematic as it includes occupations that are not experiencing a domestic skill shortage. This has led to an over-supply of some skilled occupations in the Australian labour market, such as cooks and accountants.</p>
<p>The most common pathway to permanent residency is by first entering Australia as a temporary skilled migrant, in a two-step migration process, meaning that to a large extent, who becomes Australian has been outsourced to the private sector. </p>
<h2>Problems go beyond 457 visas</h2>
<p>It is within the 457 visa scheme that there is alleged to be widespread rorting. Employers are alleged to have sponsored migrants to work in areas of employment on the government’s skilled occupation list, only to then employ them in much lower skilled jobs. Migrant workers who find themselves working in jobs not commensurate with their level of skill, are unlikely to complain as they are tied to their employer, and risk losing their jobs and their visa if they do.</p>
<p>Outside the standard sponsorship arrangements under the 457 visa, there are two limited exceptions for the employment of low and/or semi-skilled migrant workers. First, the Pacific Seasonal workers scheme facilitates the employment of Pacific workers in the horticultural industry, for which there has been a very limited take up. </p>
<p>Second, a labour agreements pathway facilitates the employment of workers under the 457 scheme who are not on the skilled occupation list. This scheme is underused because of an excess of regulation, with agreements taking between six to eight months to negotiate. Each agreement needs to be individually negotiated with the Department of Immigration and because the agreement has the status of a commercial contract, it is not tabled in Parliament or available for public scrutiny. </p>
<p>Thus, apart from the efficiency problems for employers, there are very real public transparency and accountability concerns arising from the continuing operation of the labour agreements stream.</p>
<h2>International students compete for low-skilled jobs</h2>
<p>In the last 10 years there has been a dramatic increase in unskilled work being done by migrants on visas dedicated to purposes other than work, namely, international students and working holiday visa holders. These visa schemes do not contain the same protections for workers on dedicated labour migration schemes. </p>
<p>As at 30 June, there were 160,503 working holiday makers in Australia, of whom 38,862 had taken up the option of a second working holiday visa to work in regional Australia. And there were 304,251 international student visa holders with the right to work up to 40 hours a fortnight during the course of their studies in any job in any industry in Australia. </p>
<p>In the 2012-13 financial year, 142,405 students stayed in Australia on other visas at the conclusion of their studies. More than a quarter of these were on new Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visas introduced in 2013 to provide graduates with the ability to work for two years in Australia. The subclass 485 visa is not subject to labour market testing, and graduates are not required to work in the area of their studies. As a result, tens of thousands of international student graduates on these visas are competing directly with domestic graduates for entry into the labour market.</p>
<p>Finally, mention must be made of a new group of migrants residing in the Australian community – asylum seekers on bridging visas, who used to have the right to work legally, but no longer do as a result of a policy shift. As at 25 February 2014, there were 23,616 asylum seekers in the community on Bridging Visa Es, of whom 19,353 had no entitlement to work.</p>
<p>The no work condition in BVEs makes asylum seekers particularly vulnerable to exploitation in the workplace. There is a real risk that employers will prefer to illegally employ a willing and enthusiastic asylum seeker than to pay an Australian worker the minimum wage for the equivalent job.</p>
<h2>Australia should consider a low skilled work visa</h2>
<p>Australia’s current migration policy is unwieldy and anomalous in many ways. It does not formally acknowledge the unskilled work done by migrant workers, leaving this work under–regulated to the detriment of both migrant and local workers. The working holiday maker scheme and the international graduate students visa are having as significant an impact on the Australian labour market as the subclass 457 visa. Yet, this reality is being largely ignored by policymakers as the two former visa types are not officially for a “work” purpose. </p>
<p>Australia needs a more considered, coherent and transparent approach to determining how many temporary migrant workers to admit, under what conditions and for what jobs. </p>
<p>One way forward is to develop an explicit and formal entry pathway for low and semi skilled migrant workers. This should be subject to stringent labour market testing to ensure that the skill shortages are genuine and to ensure that local job opportunities, and apprenticeship and training programs, especially for young Australians, are not being displaced. </p>
<p>If there is a genuine skill shortage, then it is acceptable for this to be filled by a migrant worker but if the skill shortage would be better met through training domestic workers, then this is the more appropriate outcome. </p>
<p><em>Associate Professor Alexander Reilly and Dr Joanna Howe are Lecturers in Law and members of the Public Law and Policy Research Unit at the University of Adelaide.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/30347/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Australia’s migration policy has shifted significantly in the past 20 years, leaving a system subject to widespread rorting and controversy. If there is a single lesson to be learnt from the revelations…Joanna Howe, Lecturer in Law, University of AdelaideAlex Reilly, Associate Professor, Law School, University of AdelaideLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/297452014-07-29T04:40:25Z2014-07-29T04:40:25ZMoving for work: not the panacea the government seeks<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/55076/original/qydcqr5p-1406591242.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The government incentivises workers to relocate for a job, but is it incentivising the right workers?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Faisal Akram/Flickr</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As a policy response to unemployment and structural change, incentives for workers to relocate in search of work have been pushing higher up the policy <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/workers-should-be-willing-to-move-for-jobs-20140728-zxi4f.html">agenda</a>. </p>
<p>This has been the trend since the World Bank’s 2009 World Development Report, <a href="http://econ.worldbank.org/external/default/main?pagePK=64165259&theSitePK=544849&piPK=64165421&menuPK=64166093&entityID=000333038_20081203234958">“Reshaping Economic Geography”</a>, which abandoned the longstanding idea that governments should attract firms to sites where labour is abundant, and instead proposed that workers move to sites of job creation. </p>
<p>Worker mobility, spurred by the market forces of labour supply and labour demand, was celebrated as a means to unleash growth by enabling specialisation to flourish. </p>
<p>It follows that when job seekers find themselves living in areas with high unemployment, they are increasingly encouraged to move to places with more job opportunities. Labour mobility reduces labour market frictions and increases the quality of job matches. It also gives workers a wider pool of possible employment options. </p>
<p>The government’s <a href="http://employment.gov.au/news/relocation-assistance-take-job-programme">Relocation Assistance to Take Up a Job program</a>, announced earlier this month, embodies this logic. It offers assistance of A$6000 to eligible jobseekers who move to a regional area to take up a job and A$3000 for those moving to a metropolitan area. An additional $3000 is available to support the relocation of families. </p>
<p>To qualify, the new position must require more than 90 minutes travel; if the position is in a different capital city the destination city must have a lower unemployment rate. The funds can be used flexibly - for rental bonds, rental payments, removal costs and travel costs - but penalties apply if the job ends prematurely without an accepted explanation. To be eligible, a jobseeker must be registered with a Job Services Australia provider, have been in receipt of income support for at least 12 months, and be subject to activity test requirements. This programme replaces the under-subscribed 2013 Move 2 Work program.</p>
<h2>Good in theory…</h2>
<p>There are both practical and theoretical reasons to be wary of relocation as labour market strategy. Practically speaking, relocation is not an option for most job seekers. </p>
<p>The most important issue is the interaction of labour markets and housing markets. In places offering a range of skilled jobs, housing prices and rents are higher than they are in places with fewer jobs and less demand for housing. In places that are shedding jobs (Geelong, for example), house prices will be falling, so job-losers who sell to relocate are likely to absorb capital losses. Renters will face higher rents and difficulty finding suitable accommodation. </p>
<p>Consequently, jobseekers facing a move to a place with higher housing costs often discover they are better off – both financially and socially – by staying put and working in a less skilled and less well-paid job. This was the experience of former textiles workers in Camperdown and Warnambool in the early 1990s, former energy workers in the Latrobe Valley in the 1990s, and former Ansett Airlines workers in Sunbury in 2002. </p>
<p>There are other complications. Job vacancies have different spatial reaches depending on the skill demands – a rocket scientist might operate in a global labour market, a sales manager in a national market, a teacher in an urban market and an office cleaner in a local market. This means, contrary to the new policy, that job opportunities might be plentiful in an occupationally specific labour market, even if that town has a higher overall unemployment rate. </p>
<p>But in less skilled and less well paid occupations employers tend to recruit locally, a practice that makes practical sense. Even for higher skilled jobs, many firms now often recruit for multiple casual and part-time positions, offering reliable full-time work only to the best recruits. It would make no sense to relocate a family for a job that is not guaranteed to last, especially when an unsuccessful match risks draconian penalties. </p>
<p>The social impediments to relocation are no less important: people in relationships may be reluctant to move if the other partner does not wish to leave a career position; those with teenage children are unlikely to wish to be blamed for disrupting their children’s school performance; and those with young children, who rely on others to cope with the everyday emergencies of traffic jams and cancelled trains, are unlikely to risk losing their support networks.</p>
<h2>Benefiting the advantaged?</h2>
<p>All this means that encouraging relocation is another way of saying that policy will give preference to those who are able to relocate without difficulty - a cohort of younger, skilled and unattached jobseekers; people who are less likely to meet the new program’s eligibility conditions but are more likely to relocate on their own initiative. </p>
<p>The theoretical concerns about relocation policies warrant careful debate. Increasing worker mobility does not increase the total number of jobs in the national economy. What it is likely to do instead is sharpen recruitment, allocating jobs to the most qualified candidates in a larger applicant pool. But this might end up eroding the flexibility of the labour market as employers respond by demanding more exact skill set portfolios. </p>
<p>What relocation-led employment policies do not consider is the long-term implications of encouraging an exodus of skilled workers from lagging regions into already-crowded centres. </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/29745/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sally Weller's research on labour mobility has been funded by the Australia Research Council.</span></em></p>As a policy response to unemployment and structural change, incentives for workers to relocate in search of work have been pushing higher up the policy agenda. This has been the trend since the World Bank’s…Sally Weller, Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/225272014-02-07T03:10:07Z2014-02-07T03:10:07ZGovernments play flawed ‘skilled jobs’ guessing game<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40839/original/b2nf6vtw-1391644021.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Hairdressing was once on the Migration Occupation in Demand List, which is again under scrutiny.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Alan Porritt/AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Governments in most countries, including Australia, often feel the need to predict which skills will be in demand and match them with increased supply largely through education planning and migration. </p>
<p>It’s a desire that has caused recent controversy, following <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/accountant-glut-prompts-skilledmigrant-list-rethink/story-e6frgcjx-1226812384269">calls</a> by the Employment Department for changes to the Skilled Occupation List (SOL).</p>
<p>While intuitively it seems a useful thing to do, workforce planning has a chequered history, particularly with respect to formal modelling, of not being particularly successful. </p>
<p>As my colleague <a href="http://www.awpa.gov.au/publications/Documents/NILS-Additional%20Material.pdf">Sue Richardson</a> of Flinders University has pointed out, even predictions by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) of the total labour force, which is the measure of total supply, have been found to be quite inaccurate. </p>
<p>In 1999 the ABS forecast the total size of the Australian labour force up to 2008. ABS estimates were short by 750,000 people. If we can’t accurately forecast the total labour supply, how is it possible to actually project individual occupations within the labour market? </p>
<p>Also, there is not a great deal of matching between qualifications, skills and occupations, apart from certain exceptions such as medicine. In most of the skilled occupations only a minority pursue a lengthy career in their field of qualification. Even graduates from the most vocational courses, such as the trades, do not tend to stay in the associated occupation for the whole of their career. </p>
<h2>Choice matters</h2>
<p>The labour market is characterised by a great deal of substitution between occupations and mobility of people between jobs, which makes trying to match people with qualifications to jobs in demand impossible even if the projections of demand were right.</p>
<p>In a democratic society people choose what to study or what job to accept. Governments may feel they know best what’s best for people, but I would argue most people have a fair idea of which courses suit them and of their career aspirations. Take for example the push to make more people do science courses. Students are quite aware that a career in science for most is poorly paid with poor career prospects while a much less “useful” commerce course offers better rewards, and so they vote with their feet. </p>
<p>Although some tradespeople earn high incomes (in line with the urban myth), the average tradesperson’s income is about the same as the average worker and many have lower incomes. The best returns to education and training are, on average, by gaining a university degree.</p>
<h2>Migration needs a long-term focus</h2>
<p>Skilled people wishing to migrate permanently to Australia, with recognised qualifications and English language competency, usually have good career prospects in Australia even if they don’t get work in the exact field they want to on arrival. Adding a particular occupation to the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) is not a bad indicator of where there will be a labour surplus by the time you arrive.</p>
<p>Education, training and permanent migration should be about the long run. The Australian economy has undergone significant structural change over the past three decades. Industries have also embraced new technologies and have become increasingly involved in the global economy. </p>
<p>Much of the changing composition of employment can be attributed to changing industry mix away from “industrial” jobs to the service sectors. Changes in industry composition have combined with technological change to systematically change the demand for skills. It has allowed for, or even driven, a restructuring of occupations within industries. Less skilled workers are more vulnerable, as are manual, younger and older workers. More cognitive, generic and interactive (people) skills are required. </p>
<p>We have experienced the debacle under the old Migration Occupation in Demand List (MODL) of a flood of overseas students (particularly from India) seeking to take IT and accounting courses because it allowed easy access to a permanent visa. </p>
<p>The popularity of vocational courses such as hairdressing and cookery increased dramatically with overseas students since enrolling in a vocational course rather than a Commerce or IT degree became the most cost-effective and assured pathway to permanent residency given another change to the MODL. </p>
<p>Recent changes to the skilled migration program include a new points test, along with a more frequently revised and narrower SOL replacing the much wider and general MODL. The changes are designed to ensure that no one factor alone will guarantee success to potential migrants, but rather a combination of skills, qualifications and experience are required to clear the new pass mark of 65. </p>
<p>Now, failure to meet English language requirements and or work requirements greatly diminishes the prospects of residency. The current system with the SOL list, while an improvement, still has the potential to wreak havoc in Australia’s education export industry because student decisions are driven by migration considerations.</p>
<p>Short-run skill shortages are best met by temporary migration such as working holiday-makers and people on 457 visas. Employers are the best people to know where it is difficult to meet labour shortages through local recruitment and hire people from overseas with relatively quick and cheap immigration processing. </p>
<p>Basing permanent migration on short-term shortages, such as for skilled tradespeople during a mining boom, is precisely what the economy doesn’t need. </p>
<p>Perhaps it’s time to drop the SOL and base permanent migration on recognised qualifications (in general rather than specific areas) and English language competence – the best indicators of employability.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/22527/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>During his career, Phil Lewis has received funding from many private and public sector organisations including most recently the ARC, NCVER, DEEWR and the AFPC.</span></em></p>Governments in most countries, including Australia, often feel the need to predict which skills will be in demand and match them with increased supply largely through education planning and migration…Phil Lewis, Professor of Economics, University of CanberraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/203522013-12-02T03:35:13Z2013-12-02T03:35:13ZSolving Big Data’s big skills shortage<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36074/original/n9skdq9r-1385420255.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The skills required to tap Big Data include statistics, mathematics, computer science and engineering.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>According to analyst firm <a href="http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2575515">Gartner</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/big-data-and-big-business-its-what-you-do-with-it-that-matters-20543">Big Data</a> is at the portion of the hype cycle called the “peak of inflated expectations”. </p>
<p>The business world is awash with all sorts of claims about the magic of Big Data and how it will transform industries by increasing productivity and profits and opening up opportunities that nobody even knew existed. </p>
<p>But this will only happen if companies are able to hire enough people who actually understand what Big Data is, how to collect it, and preserve it. Computing and analytical skills are also required to get Big Data to reveal its hidden secrets and visualise it in novel ways. And there unfortunately, is the rub. There are just not enough data scientists, people with the required skills to satisfy this unmet demand.</p>
<p>The shortfall in Big Data experts is set to rise and in the UK alone, one digital industries employer body has <a href="http://cloudtimes.org/2013/11/14/new-report-reveals-huge-skills-shortage-for-big-data-specialists/">predicted</a> there will be a need for 69,000 of these experts in the next five years. This claim is not original. Back in 2011, McKinsey & Co was <a href="http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/business_technology/big_data_the_next_frontier_for_innovation">claiming</a> a US shortfall in Big Data experts of 140,000 - 190,000 by 2018.</p>
<p>The shortfall in Big Data experts is being manifested in a number of ways. The first and most obvious is through recruiters casting an ever-widening net in their search for appropriate talent. </p>
<p>There is some agreement that Big Data analysis and data visualisation requires skills in computing as well as statistics and mathematics. This has meant that university graduates with statistics, computer science and engineering have been the main source of potential employees. <a href="http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/big-data-jobs-outpace-general-030104809.html">Lately</a> this has widened to include subject areas such as astrophysics and computational chemistry.</p>
<p>The demand for Big Data experts has driven a more direct approach to tackling the shortfall problem with industry partnering with universities to create courses, majors and degrees that focus on these specific skills. In Australia, Macquarie University <a href="http://www.itnews.com.au/News/345242,universities-join-race-for-big-data-riches.aspx">will offer</a> a Master’s degree in Data Science. In the US there are a <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/big-data/big-data-analytics/big-data-analytics-masters-degrees-20-top-programs/d/d-id/1108042?">number</a> of universities that offer postgraduate degrees in disciplines that cover skills required for Big Data professionals.</p>
<p>Even MOOC provider Udacity has partnered with Big Data database provider Cloudera to put on <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/cloudera-udacity-partner-address-big-133000137.html">specific courses</a> on Big Data. Rival MOOC provider Coursera, has <a href="https://www.coursera.org/courses?orderby=upcoming&search=big%20data">three</a> Big Data related courses available.</p>
<h2>Think first</h2>
<p>In the midst of the Big Data hype, some clear notes of sanity have come from an unexpected quarter. UK supermarket giant Tesco has <a href="http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/2302366/tesco-dismisses-big-data-skills-shortage-as-uk-universities-churn-out-talent">claimed</a> it has no problems hiring graduates with the right skills. Basically its strategy is to look for smart people who may be mathematicians, scientists or engineers. </p>
<p>Surprisingly enough, this vindicates the long-held belief that universities should first and foremost produce graduates who are equipped with the ability to think, apply those thoughts and solve problems. </p>
<p>Although over-emphasised by some in industry, product or technology specific skills are largely useless. By the time universities mobilise to refactor their courses to the latest hyped technology and graduate students with those skills, the world will have moved on to the next “Big” thing.</p>
<p>Big Data is real and some of the challenges it poses will need to be solved by scientists and engineers and mathematicians in the coming years. Setting aside truly massive data being generated by radio astronomy and some other fields of science, we are actually mostly there in terms of having techniques and technology that allows us to process and make sense of Big Data. Underlying this all however are the general skills required to handle and make sense of all data, big and small. These skills still rely on knowledge of basic mathematics, statistics, science and computing.</p>
<p>What the interest in Big Data has done is to highlight to companies the importance of data generally. It’s not as though companies have never looked at data analytics before, they simply may not have recognised its central importance to the business, nor understood what the data has been trying to say for years. The task is to convince them that universities are already producing graduates with the right skills and answers, industry only needs to ask the right questions.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/20352/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Glance works for a university that benefits from the provision of graduates to industry.</span></em></p>According to analyst firm Gartner, Big Data is at the portion of the hype cycle called the “peak of inflated expectations”. The business world is awash with all sorts of claims about the magic of Big Data…David Glance, Director, Centre for Software Practice, The University of Western AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.