Principal speaker
Dr Chris Wright
Abstract: This seminar will present the preliminary findings of a study on the business and labour market impact of skilled immigration. In contrast to the low-skilled nature of labour immigration that is prevalent in many European countries, Australian immigration policy is focused primarily (though not exclusively) on attracting skilled and professional workers. However, there have been ongoing concerns about the impact of the employer-sponsored temporary “457 visa” scheme, which has become the largest avenue for skilled immigration to Australia. In 2013, then Prime Minister Gillard claimed that the 457 visa was denying opportunities to residents for employment, training and higher wages and leading migrant workers to be exploited. Several unions have made similar criticisms of the 457 visa consistently for the past decade. These assertions have been challenged by employer groups that have welcomed the shift towards a more liberal skilled visa policy. The scant and inconclusive nature of existing research has made it difficult to adequately assess claims regarding the advantages and disadvantages of the scheme. While preliminary studies have focused on demographic and economic impacts and legal implications, there has been no comprehensive academic analysis of the costs and benefits of temporary skilled immigration for business and the labour market since the inception of the 457 visa in 1996. Drawing upon large-scale surveys of 457 visa holders and sponsoring employers, this presentation will examine three issues central to public debate: the relationship between skilled immigration policy and skills shortages; the impact of skilled immigration on business strategy; and the nature of employer demand for skills.
Speaker: Chris F. Wright is Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Work and Organisational Studies at the University of Sydney Business School. He received his PhD from the University of Cambridge in 2011. Chris’s research covers various aspects of labour market institutions and regulation and his particular interests focus on employment relations, skilled immigration and supply chains and production networks.
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RSVP
RSVP on or before Friday 10 October 2014 , by email wow@griffith.edu.au , or by phone 07 3735 3714