Academics, Tutors and the Skills Occupations List [SOL]. (May 28, 2010)

Earlier this month the federal government's Department of Immigration and Citizenship released its "New List of Skilled Occupations Intended to Replace the Current Skilled Occupation List".

The listing gives no recognition of seriously considering representations made to the department of an "overwhelming impending structural shortage" of the university academic staff and tutors which, for example, the sector considers essential for the education of the next generation of professionals.

Guy Healy in the latest issue of The Australian's Higher Education Supplement notes that a report delivered to Universities Australia by University of Adelaide demographer Professor Graeme Hugo on Australia's looming academic staff shortage makes grim reading. In engineering "the increasing student-staff ratios are reaching levels that may threaten accreditation".

As a result of the increasing shortfall of well-qualified academics the report concludes practitioners and recent graduates will be pressed into service over next two decades. In fact it says: "Anecdotal evidence suggests this may already be occurring".

According to Mr Healy's report, in submissions to Skills Australia Universities Australia stated "universities would suffer a heavy attrition of academics in the next 20 years, creating a demand for academics unprecedented since the 1970s. And this was even before the government set its targets for more graduates, UA told Skills Australia. It was essential university lecturers and tutors were SOL-listed as there were no key areas where any substantial sustained surplus was expected."

In addition the Group of Eight pointed to the world-wide shortage of researchers trained to the level of higher degrees and suggested that the "postgraduate visa, now limited to course duration, should feature the carrot of an automatic period of temporary residency and pathways to permanent residency".

Mr Healy in his article writes: "The Immigration Department defended the move yesterday saying people could still apply under employer sponsorship [ENSOL] arrangements and, potentially, state migration plans when they come into effect." Which is certainly the case, i.e. both university lectures and tutors are listed as eligible under the ENSOL but are specifically excluded under the SOL listing. However, the Immigration Department's document notes specifically: "If you are applying under the Employer Nomination Scheme and you have been nominated to fill a senior academic or scientific research position by an Australian university or the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), you will not need to have your skills assessed by an assessing authority listed on this form."

So if you're nominated to hold a university chair or take up a Senior Principal or Chief Research Scientist's position in CSIRO you're in like flynn; otherwise...