18 June 2015
ACTU submission to Productivity Commission Inquiry into the migrant intake into Australia
temporary work visas 457 visa training Ged Kearney Senate Inquiry
Unions are calling for changes to the 457 visa program that will boost training positions for young workers and those looking to reskill while at the same time addressing employer concerns over skills shortages.
This includes requiring an employer who employs four or more 457 visa holders to have at least 25 per cent of its workforce made up of apprentices or trainees.
If this standard was applied to the current 457 visa tradespersons workforce of 27,790, almost 7000 apprentices and trainees opportunities would be created.
The 457 visa is the easiest to regulate because it relies on a sponsorship framework.
The tightening of laws around the use of 457s should be seen as a first step to reforming the entire temporary visa system.
These recommendations will form part of the union case to the Senate Inquiry into Temporary Visas which is sitting in Melbourne on Friday and Sydney next week.
Recommended changes include:
Facts:
Quotes attributable to ACTU President Ged Kearney.
“Unions are calling for stronger requirements on employers to train and employ apprentices, trainees and graduates in the same occupations where they are currently using 457 visa workers.”
“In Australia there is an over use and abuse of temporary visa workers and the driving force behind this is employer claims that they can’t find local workers to fill positions.”
“With Australia’s unemployment rate sitting at or above 6 per cent for a year now and youth unemployment still too high at 13.4 per cent it’s getting more and more difficult to accept arguments about skills shortages.”
“Stronger regulation around the use of 457 visas would ensure the response to alleged skills gaps included solutions such as training and investment, not simply to look overseas for workers.”
“Employment and training opportunities for people today will benefit Australia long into the future. It’s time we look ahead instead of simply reacting to short-term demands.”
ACTU submission to Productivity Commission Inquiry into the migrant intake into Australia
temporary work visas 457 visa training Ged Kearney Senate Inquiry
Unions are calling for changes to the 457 visa program that will boost training positions for young workers and those looking to reskill while at the same time addressing employer concerns over skills shortages.
This includes requiring an employer who employs four or more 457 visa holders to have at least 25 per cent of its workforce made up of apprentices or trainees.
If this standard was applied to the current 457 visa tradespersons workforce of 27,790, almost 7000 apprentices and trainees opportunities would be created.
The 457 visa is the easiest to regulate because it relies on a sponsorship framework.
The tightening of laws around the use of 457s should be seen as a first step to reforming the entire temporary visa system.
These recommendations will form part of the union case to the Senate Inquiry into Temporary Visas which is sitting in Melbourne on Friday and Sydney next week.
Recommended changes include:
- Where four or more 457 visa workers are sponsored by the employer in trade and technical occupations, apprentices must represent at least 25 per cent of the sponsor’s trade workforce;
- When employers are sponsoring 457 visa workers in professional and managerial occupations, recent Australian higher education graduates with less than 12 months’ paid work experience should represent at least 15% per cent of the sponsor’s managerial and professional workforce;
- Sponsors of 457 visa workers should make a $4000 payment into a dedicated training fund that is linked to broader training objectives.
Facts:
- There are over 1.2 million temporary visa holders working in Australia and they make up 10 per cent of the workforce;
- Allowed to continue at current growth rate numbers will reach two million by 2020;
- Over a period of seven years from 2007-14, the number of temporary visa holders rose by around 600,000 – an almost 50 per cent increase;
- By comparison, 128,550 skilled migrants moved to Australia in the past 12 months under the permanent migration program.
- There are currently 106,750 primary 457 visa holders in Australia.
Quotes attributable to ACTU President Ged Kearney.
“Unions are calling for stronger requirements on employers to train and employ apprentices, trainees and graduates in the same occupations where they are currently using 457 visa workers.”
“In Australia there is an over use and abuse of temporary visa workers and the driving force behind this is employer claims that they can’t find local workers to fill positions.”
“With Australia’s unemployment rate sitting at or above 6 per cent for a year now and youth unemployment still too high at 13.4 per cent it’s getting more and more difficult to accept arguments about skills shortages.”
“Stronger regulation around the use of 457 visas would ensure the response to alleged skills gaps included solutions such as training and investment, not simply to look overseas for workers.”
“Employment and training opportunities for people today will benefit Australia long into the future. It’s time we look ahead instead of simply reacting to short-term demands.”
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