It takes three years for skilled migrant workers to secure a job – and HR isn't helping

This is an issue that Australia 'cannot afford to ignore', says HOST International

BY Dexter Tilo 05 May 2022

A new study has revealed that more than half of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) workers in Australia take three years to secure a job, despite carrying with them decades of experience in their chosen fields.

According to a new Ready to Work research from MAX Solutions and HOST International, 45% of CALD workers surveyed have between five to 20 years’ worth of experience in their field of choice.

However, 68% of them waited a year or more to secure work, with 75% of them admitting it took them three years to land the job in their chosen field.

Darren Hooper from MAX Solutions aid that these CALD workers potentially fill in the 350,000 skilled job vacancies across the country.

"These 'lost skills' of Australia’s migrant workforce represent a huge opportunity for our economy and society, if we can work together to improve recognition of overseas qualifications to Australian employers and accreditation bodies, and support culturally and linguistically diverse job candidates into jobs in their field," said Hooper.

Challenges and recommendations

As per the report, these skilled migrants face various barriers before being able to secure a job in Australia, including recognition of overseas qualifications and accreditations.

In fact, the report revealed that only one out of five skilled migrants in Australia have overseas qualifications recognised for employment.

Alongside accreditation, they also face the following challenges:

Language barriers requiring programmes to learn English
Finding the right information, advice, and training to secure work
Limited access to public transport and affordable housing
Visa types impacting work options
Discrimination by employers

To help eliminate these struggles for CALD workers, the report unveiled the following recommendations:

exploring opportunities to overcome local experience barriers by increasing work experience programs and paid internships
working with industry and accreditation authorities to address misunderstandings about overseas qualifications
reduce the costs associated with local recognition of specific qualifications.

If barriers to employment are not eliminated, then these CALD workers would live to have jobs that are outside their profession and would even resort to casual or unstable employment.

David Keegan, CEO of Host International, said this is an issue that Australia cannot afford to ignore.

"There's also a real human cost here – short-term, casual employment often leads to inconsistent income and uncertainty for migrants and their families. Just getting a job isn't enough – it should be secure, gainful, and in that person's field of choice and expertise. We must do more to ensure that migrants can translate their skills into long-term, secure work in Australia to create stability for themselves and their families," Keegan said.