Market and social research industry to challenge 457 visa decision
Share
The Government’s abolition of 457 visas removes ‘market research analyst’ and ‘research and development manager’ from the eligible skilled occupations list.
The Research Industry Council of Australia (RICA) will challenge the Government’s abolition of the 457 visa after its removal of market research analyst and research and development manager from the eligible skilled occupations list.
These positions are “critical skills sets relied on by the Australian market and social research industry,” says RICA in a media release.
“Market and social research is an important service that benefits all Australians. From political polls and television ratings, to surveys of customer satisfaction and the development of products and services, to studies on public health or the income and labour dynamics in Australia, market and social research provides valuable information about the society in which we live,” says the release.
“This information helps government, commercial and not-for-profit organisations make informed decisions based upon the interests and needs of their constituents, clients and the general public.”
On April 18, the Turnbull Government announced the 457 visa will be abolished and replaced with the new Temporary Skills Shortage visa in March 2018. The new system aims to address genuine skill shortages and provide a number of safeguards which prioritise Australian workers.
Sarah Campbell, executive director, Association of Market and Social Research Organisations, says, “There is a talent shortage for particular research positions in our country, with member company CEOs reporting that some jobs, requiring a very particular skill set, can be advertised in Australia for over 12 months before being filled by a 457 visa employee.
“The removal of these two research positions from the eligible skilled occupation list is likely to hit our industry hard and RICA will be heading to Canberra to request that they be reinstated.”
In 2015-’16, market research analyst ranked sixth out of the occupations now removed in terms of visas granted.
That’s the last full year with data. According to the ABC, for the second half of 2016, market research analysts, along with technicians, trade workers and sales reps for industrial products, topped the list.
“With the industry undergoing technological change and the opportunity for unparalleled growth, we simply can’t afford to lose the highly skilled talent we currently recruit from overseas, says Lee Naylor, managing director at The Leading Edge.
“These people are not taking jobs from Australians but rather complementing the talent we already employ here,” he says.
“As an industry, we have invested in local talent and training, but we need overseas talent to ensure our local companies can compete on the global stage.”
–
Further reading
–
Image copyright: juliasv / 123RF Stock Photo
