E&OE

Stela Todorovic:
Thank you so much for your time. We have just heard within the first hour of the summit that the Federal Government will be lifting the migration cap of 160,000 to 195,000. Where do you think this is going? Is this a good step and what do you think when it comes to international students and their visas, is there an opening to kind of fix the issues?

Catriona Jackson:
Specifically for universities we have been calling for a smoothing of the visa processes. So, we can just try and keep a little few more of those terrific international graduates who have already made a significant investment here in Australia. They have already got a world-class Australian degree. Only 16% of them stay on. In other countries, those numbers are much higher. We would like to see a few more, not a huge number more, but a few more. They have got degrees in medicine, engineering, and IT, skills we really need here. They would make a terrific contribution to Australian society. And as you know we are a great, strong, multicultural nation so why not fix up our slightly antiquated visa system, just iron out some of those bumps, so some of those really talented individuals who have already invested in Australia can use their Australian education in Australia.

Stela Todorovic:
We heard from Claire O’Neil and she did say that it should really be looking at the way that we move permanent migration not so much short term, we need to focus on nation building, we need to focus on the long-term. Do you think there is capacity to fix those visa bumps and to really bring more international students over and give them a life here with their skills, with everything that they learn, through the degrees that they have here and to really build the capacity to fix the workforce? How is it practical I suppose what I’m asking is to fix those visa issues and do you think that the announcement today paves the way for more international students to be able to build their lives here?

Catriona Jackson:
It is incredibly important that we do two things here today at the Jobs and Skills Summit. That we make sure that Australians are getting every opportunity to retrain and upskill and our proposition on that is microcredentials. Microcredentials are a very useful retraining and upskilling mechanism. We need to remove that financial barrier, so a 35-year-old woman who realises she does not have enough IT knowledge to be able to stay in her engineering job can go back to university, take the barrier of upfront fees away, do microcredential, and go back into the workplace just with more skills. Balance that domestic supply and improving our people and their skills with a few more of those terrific international graduates. So, to fix that problem with our visa system all we need to do is have a look at some of the bits that are just a bit broken, and smooth out those processes. It is terrific to hear real commitment from the government on those things today and I think that Minister O’Neil is right to emphasise we have a serious skilled worker shortage, not just unskilled workers but skilled workers. That is where universities can help. We have a ready supply of those international graduates who have already come here. They are already acquainted with Australia, they have studied in Australian universities, got a world class education. We can make some small changes to our system to mean that just a few more of those stay to deal with our medium and long-term skills problems.

Stela Todorovic:
How quickly would you like to see those changes and practically how quickly can they happen? You have got 900,000 visas backlogged. It’s a big job.

Catriona Jackson:
Again, great to see some action on that visa backlog. About 20% of international students are waiting longer than they should for those visas. We have just come through COVID, let’s not make these patient students wait any longer. They have already been really patient waiting and studying while overseas, so let’s fix that. But these are not enormous difficulties. I think if the government has the determination, it sounds to me as though they really do, we can fix those little and frankly discouraging and internally contradictory issues in the visa systems. It just means those students who arrive know they are really welcome to stay. The processes encourage them to stay and just get those numbers up from 16% to 17%, 18%. That’s a whole lot of expert people with the great Australian education right here right now in other places.

Stela Todorovic:
Absolutely, we still have half a day to go. What are your thoughts and feelings on the summit so far? And do you think that everyone, including yourself, would walk away really feeling like it wasn’t just a bunch of people in a room talking but the practical solutions have been, I suppose borne out of it.

Catriona Jackson:
Look it has been an incredible privilege to be in a room with leaders from every part of Australian society, led on and spurred by our Prime Minister and our Treasurer, talking about really practical solutions. We have seen people coming together that, as many people pointed out, as Tony Burke pointed out yesterday, not sitting next to each other yesterday or last week. This is a really good thing. Universities, every single day bring people, students and scholars together around really difficult problems and around trying to get solutions and grab opportunities. That’s exactly what we are doing at the Jobs and Skills Summit. Universities are here to help. We really believe in using evidence, using the best minds, using the best will, the best vigour to get the best solutions for Australians. Strong university system, strong vocational system, strong economy, strong communities in our cities and our nation.

Stela Todorovic:
Thank you so much for your time today.