Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) mechanics could be removed from the Core Skilled Occupation List (CSOL) as a result of the federal government’s continuing rollout of its Migration Strategy.
As part of the strategy rollout, Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) has been tasked with assessing Australia’s labour market and skills needs.
This will be used to inform migration policy and shape the Skills in Demand Visa which is scheduled to replace the Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Visa by late 2024.
In response to these changes JSA has released a draft Core Skills Occupations List (CSOL) for stakeholder consultation.
Despite a serious shortfall in the RAC job market coupled with an ageing workforce, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics are listed for removal from the CSOL.
Australia’s skilled migration occupation lists were last updated in March 2019.
Superior Training Centre general manager, Robert Parsonson, said industry needs to act by making a formal submission.
“We need to ensure refrigeration and air conditioning remains on the occupation list which is why we are calling on industry to respond and to provide feedback,” Parsonson said.
JSA has developed a Migration Labour Market Indicator Model, that it will use alongside deep stakeholder engagement, to develop and then provide advice to the government on the CSOL.
JSA is seeking feedback on the draft CSOL. The survey is open until Friday, 10 May, 2024 and submissions can be lodged until 5pm AEST on Friday, 31 May, 2024.