The Accreditation of the Skills of Overseas Trained Workers

The recognition of overseas qualifications in Australia continues to be a major problem experienced by migrants, either through a lack of adequate verifiable documentation, difficulties in determining parity with local qualifications, or through problems associated with accrediting experience subsequent to basic training. Rather than the valuation of formal paper qualifications, it is suggested that the skills currently held by the migrant be assessed. The assessment of skills is a more productive and equitable model and should be developed, especially in the context of a dynamic labour market and of a greater emphasis being placed on skills in Australia's immigration policy.