He will also announce the Morrison government will continue a program
for short courses at university and TAFE so people can upskill in areas
of need.
“The Morrison government is embracing the rise of
micro credentials, which we see as playing a big role in flexible
upskilling of our workforce,” Mr Robert will say.
He will say
things are positive a year on from the big economic shock of the Covid
pandemic but uneven growth needs to be tackled.
“We have a
clear divide between the supply and demand in regional versus metro
parts of the country, and we have a mismatch between skills and
qualifications required for advertised jobs in certain areas,” he will
say.
Mr Robert will tell BCA that the government wanted
Australians to have “first crack” at getting the opportunity for a job,
but would also focus on targeted migration to fill skills and labour
gaps.
“The fall in temporary migrants has tightened labour
supply in some industries and occupations where they are heavily relied
upon – falling by over 600,000 across all visa types,” he will say.
“The Treasury estimates that Australia’s population will be 1.1 million
smaller by 2030-31 than it would have been had it not been for the
pandemic.”
Mr Robert will announce that the government will invest in a new initiative for migrants already in Australia.
“It involves fast-tracking active skills assessments for occupations
with skills shortages, waiving fees and fast-tracking assessments for
migrants in Australia yet to undergo a skills assessment,” he will say.
“It will also provide free employability assessments and support for migrants working below their qualification.”
