Survey shows success of employer sponsored skilled migration
Thursday, 28 October 2010
Results of a new survey highlight the value of employer sponsorship of skilled workers to Australia, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen MP, announced today.
The first results from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship's (DIAC) Continuous Survey of Australia's Migrants (CSAM) show that 60 per cent of employer sponsored migrants work in either management or professions, with 90 per cent in skilled employment.
‘These results point to the benefits of employer sponsorship as part of the nation's skilled migration intake,’ Mr Bowen said.
‘The demand driven employer sponsored pathway fills an immediate skilled vacancy which cannot be filled locally, thereby contributing to our national economy and productivity.’
The CSAM survey is the first of an ongoing series of surveys which will track the progress of new arrivals in the skilled and family streams. The survey has found three-quarters of skill stream migrants are in the ‘prime working years’ of 25 to 44 years of age, helping to offset the ageing population and keep the labour force growing. For Australia as a whole, only 28 per cent of the population is in this age range.
In addition, the survey showed that more than 90 per cent of those from the skill stream either spoke English as a first language or rated themselves as good or very good English speakers. For the family stream about 70 per cent reported this level of proficiency.
Two-thirds of skilled visa holders and more than one-third of family visa holders had a university qualification. According to the 2009 ABS Survey of Education and Work, the equivalent figure for people aged 15–64 in the broader Australian population is 23 per cent.
The overall outcomes for the entire skilled stream were positive, with an unemployment rate of 5 per cent and a participation rate of 95 per cent.
‘This information demonstrates that migrants, particularly skilled migrants, are adding to the stock of skilled workers in Australia,’ Mr Bowen said.
‘This is an impressive result, given the majority of skilled migrants have in a short period of time become active participants in the Australian labour market.
‘The positive effect this has on the workforce becomes more evident when it's considered only 65 per cent of Australia's working age population are actually in the workforce.’
These results are from the first wave of this survey which was conducted in late 2009. Every six months a fresh group of migrants will be surveyed and a follow-up survey will be conducted to track their progress.
The results of the survey can be found on the department's website.
See: Continuous Survey of Australia's Migrants
URL: http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/media/media-releases/2010/cb10074.htm
Last update: 28 October 2010 at 16:18 AEST