Research conducted at the Australian Demographic & Social Research Institute (ADSRI) at ANU has helped to inform new Federal Government policy on skilled migration.
The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship visited campus on Monday 8 February to announce major changes to the nation’s skilled migration program at a launch hosted by ADSRI.
Senator Chris Evans used his address in the Hall at University House to outline steps designed to increase the number of migrants to Australia who are skilled in areas of workforce demand.
“The reforms will deliver a demand rather than a supply driven skilled migration program that meets the needs of the economy in sectors and regions where there are shortages of highly skilled workers, such as healthcare, engineering and mining,” Senator Evans said.
Opening the event, ADSRI Director Professor Peter McDonald underscored the longstanding relationship between ADSRI researchers and immigration policy makers.
He said that most recently ADSRI research into the economics of skilled migration had helped to inform the Federal Government’s policy decision.
“In the public discussion of a bigger population for Australia, there has been surprisingly little attention given to the main driving force of immigration, the demand for labour in Australia,” Professor McDonald said.
“Since the 1830s, immigration to Australia has been primarily determined by the demand for labour and this will continue to be the case.”
“However, for the first time in Australian history, the home-grown or domestic supply of labour is falling and, as the baby boom retires, this trend will continue. In that context, any growth in Australian labour supply will necessarily come from immigration.”
“This is the fundamental reason that immigration is expected to be higher in the next 40 years than it has been in the past 40 years.”
“In the drive for a more productive Australia, the skills level of Australia’s future immigrants is also an important issue.”
The Minister was formally welcomed to the University by Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Lawrence Cram.
The speech by Senator Evans and media release can be found on his website.
Speech (PDF 10.4KB) by Professor Peter McDonald introducing Senator Evans.