News

Immigration is a central part of workforce development in Australia, according to one business expert, although it is vital to combine this with effective upskilling of home-grown talent.

Jenny Lambert, director of employment, education and training policy at the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), said this issue has been in the spotlight recently due to the political debate surrounding temporary 457 immigration visas.

She remarked: "Australians should not be concerned that the valuable skilled migration program, including temporary 457 visas, detracts from the primary goal of opportunities for Australians.

"Skilled migration is just one important component of a total workforce development task facing this country."

Her comments came as the Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency (AWPA) released a new report outlining a range of key issues facing the country in terms of employment.

The Future Focus - 2013 National Workforce Development Strategy focused on a number of areas in which the nation will need to concentrate if it is to effectively deal with skills gaps predicted in the coming years.

Training quality, literacy and numeracy, management and leadership, employment participation and labour mobility were just some of the factors the report highlighted as being potential challenges.

"In a week where the issue of skilled ...

Read More...