Australian education

Australia one of the English-speaking nation have formally declared a new ethical framework that will regulate the recruitment of international students. The new Ethical frame work is known as the London Statement, the new joint statement of principles has been agreed by education officials from Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand. They have sets out clear guidance for academic institutions and educational agents recruiting international students, including details on international student visa applications.

The main emphasis is on the importance of responsible business ethics and clarifies that agents and consultants refrain “from being party to any attempt by students or others to engage in fraudulent visa applications”.

Greater collaboration between agents, consultants and destination country educational institutions will improve ethical standards.

Many agents who recruit international students to schools, colleges and universities work on commission basis. When even a small number of these consultants and agents act unethically or illegally, both students and academic institutions will suffer.

It is important that the reputation and integrity of international education continues to be held in high regard. We must ensure that international students receive advice which will enable them to have high quality educational experiences

The new framework will encourage good practice among student recruitment agents and support international collaboration.

The London Statement presents a number of worthwhile considerations, the key will be for regulations and standards to be enforced by governments. One strategy, which was suggested, would be for federal bodies to declare that they will not accept student visa applications that have been prepared by unregistered offshore migration agents

The London Statement was drafted in mid-March and the international code of ethics was formally declared in a joint statement on April 26.

A survey was conducted by the major players in the industry in regards to finding a employee for the vacancy and how long it is taking the employer to get a right employee. It has indicated that long waiting periods are estimated by different industries in gaining right employees.

The results of the study showed that approximately 40 per cent of the firms covered by researchers were facing difficulties in recruitment.

On top of this, the hardships were felt despite a measurable drop in national job vacancies from
237,000 in 2010 to 219,000 in 2011, according to the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Vacancy Report.

Australian businesses are clearly feeling the pinch of the skills shortage, with 42 per cent reporting that it takes more than three months longer to recruit staff than it did a year ago.

Businesses are seeing this as a significant issue and are therefore doing what they can to attract skilled performers, whether it’s improving benefits packages or recruiting workers from interstate and overseas.

However, a large number of firms were shown to be bumping up salaries in order to attract talent – particularly in the mining sector – but if the labour pool does not have the numbers available to meet demand, then businesses begin to suffer.

Businesses are in the difficult position of having to turn new work away – a tough decision to make given the uncertain economic environment.

The industry is trying other ways to hire people from overseas to fill their long standing positions. The immigration department is also planning in tune with the mining companies to formulate a new system , where in it will facilitate huge mining companies to get workers from overseas with limited migration requirements.

Applicants must be employed as academic staff or be undertaking research degrees from a recognised Indian University. Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to research and teaching involving Australia.

Applicants must be employed as academic staff or be undertaking research degrees from a recognised Indian University. Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to research and teaching involving Australia.

The AIC Fellowship Scheme is divided into two parts:

1. Senior Fellowships are made available for established scholars working on Australia within the Indian University system.
2. Junior Fellowships are made available for PhD research students and more junior members of faculty working on Australia within the Indian University system.

Applicants must clearly indicate if they are applying for a Senior Fellowship or a Junior Fellowship. However, the managers of the Fellowship Scheme reserve the right to make a determination on whether applicants are eligible

The scheme is designed to lend support to the development of Australian Studies programs within the Indian University System through travelling fellowships to Australia. The Scheme has two primary objectives:

1. Provide a travelling opportunity for Visiting Scholars from India to visit key Australian Universities and to become more fully acquainted with Leading Scholars of Australia in Australia.
2. Provide an opportunity for Indian Scholars of Australia to pursue their Australian-based research within an Australian context.

more information can be obtained by this link

“Good news for Students who wanted to study in Australia”

Students who are lodging their student visa applications on or after 24^th March 2012 with COE from the participating university for Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degree levels irrespective of their country of origin who are enrolled with universities are eligible for streamlined Visa processing.

• Bachelors degree
• Master degree by course work
• Masters degree by research work
• Doctoral degrees
• ELICOS and VET courses for an international students…….. are eligible for special process

But the students who are enrolled under the short courses, graduate diplomas, associate degrees, graduate certificates, diplomas and advanced diplomas do not come under the streamlined process.

Universities Participation:

It is not compulsory to participate by all the universities for the streamlined visa processing.  The universities who are participating in streamlined visa processing will be known on 24^th March 2012.

What is streamline process and how it is addressed.

• Students who are under the streamlined visa processing would generally have reduced evidentiary requirements when applying for a student visa irrespective of their Nationality.
• But Students would have to meet the minimum requirements in respect of English Proficiency and financials would have to satisfy the GTE. But there is a very less burden in documentation compare to the current.

Eligibility for Streamlined Visa Processing:

• Student need to provide COE not the offer letter for an eligible selected course from the participating university when he is lodging his student visa application.
• Students who are going on pre-requisites i.e English Language Course followed by the main course they should provide the COE for both the pre-requisite and the main course at the time of lodging their application.
• Students who are not eligible for Stream lined Visa Processing also can apply for a student visa with current processing guide lines.
• Students can apply under the current student visa processes if their selected university is not a participant in stream line visa processing.

Benefits of Streamlined Visa Processing:

• Student visa application processes very quickly.
• Students will have reduced documentation (Proofs)
• Increases high quality International GTE’s
• Visa Lodgement process is same for the Streamlined Visa Applicants.
• No additional documents required for the students whose selected Universities are in Streamlined Visa processing

The changes are in response to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s (DIAC) 2011 review of student visa assessment level settings, which recommended that a number of assessment levels be changed.

“While it was recommended that some assessment levels be increased, I have decided to only implement the reductions in order to best support Australia’s international education sector,” Mr Bowen said.

“Lowering the minimum evidentiary requirement for the grant of a student visa for selected countries and visa subclasses is expected to help around 10,500 prospective students.

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Solar Dawn will be one of the largest power plants of its kind in the world as well as one of the most environmentally responsible.

At least 85 per cent of Solar Dawn’s power generation will be entirely emissions free.During construction, Solar Dawn estimates the project will generate $570 million in economic activity in the region and create 300 jobs on average.Many axillary services are outsourced to other companies to provide services. This project is going to create new jobs in Australia.

The project consists of approximately 450 hectares of infrastructure including a ‘solar field’ containing the mirrors and steam boiler tubes, and a ‘power block’ with the steam turbine generators, gas boilers and ancilliary equipment.

It is expected that the proposed project will commence operation in early 2015 following the finalisation of project development in December 2011 and three years of construction

In recognition of the impact of the continued resource boom on the local workforce, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has announced it will be hosting a number of public interviews in Port Pirie, South Australia, on February 23.

As the two-speed economy begins to spread its effect across the country, more positions in these industries become available – in some cases there are more roles than there are experienced workers.

With these key factors in mind, it’s little wonder that the DIAC would consider municipalities such as Port Pirie when making face-to-face visits.

The spokesman asserted: “Some businesses in regional communities can find it difficult to fill skilled vacancies with local workers and may want to consider sponsoring suitably qualified workers from overseas.

While the information provided by the departmental officers is quite useful to both employers and migrant workers, the spokesman reminded business owners of their role in the sponsorship transaction.

“It is the responsibility of employers to ensure that non-Australian workers they hire hold a visa with valid work rights,” said the spokesman.

As international workers are sourced and begin to settle in to these communities, they often begin to bring their families over to join them.

For many, the DIAC has special visa subclasses for spouses and dependent children and can even provide sponsorship solutions for parents and other relations.

However the requirements of these arrangements can vary depending on the individual’s circumstances, so savvy professionals will be seeking the assistance of migration agents to find the best possible avenue that suits their needs.

The SkillSelect.gov.au site is intended to be used by applicants for the submission of an expression of interest (EOI) in the new system.

The invitation-based program is not due for activation until July 1.

Instead, it currently offers hosts static content rather than a submissions portal – instead it is offering a range of information on how the new initiative will operate.

It explains the purpose of the SkillSelect program as being “an online system that enables skilled workers interested in migrating to Australia to record their details to be considered for a skilled visa”.

The site also details the types of applicable initiatives that will require interested parties to register an EOI before being invited to apply for a visa.

These include independent skilled, family sponsored skilled, state or territory sponsored skilled or business skills programs.

For the workers, there is a dedicated section that aims to answer commonly asked questions, such as the requirements of an expression of interest and how to submit the information.

In addition, the site takes great care to point out that an EOI is not the same thing as a visa application and as such no bridging documents will be issued by the DIAC.

While Australian migration agents are aware of these developments, the availability of information could help to improve the understanding of the effects of the program among clients.

In addition to potential employees, the SkillSelect site has a separate section dedicated to employers considering taking on international workers.

Business managers and owners who are unsure if the program is right for them can easily access additional information on subjects such as how to search for candidates and what to do when one is identified.

The site also makes it clear that employers are free to pursue their own channels of international recruitment – however it does list a number of advantages that come with using the program.

According to the DIAC, the SkillSelect initiative will help to address skill shortages by collating a range of factors in one channel, allowing managers to peruse from a selection of pre-qualified applicants.

The site explains: “This will reduce overseas advertising and recruitment costs to businesses, and assist in resolving skills shortages.”

A survey of Australian business leaders has shown that local sentiments towards hiring and job growth remain high despite financial uncertainty abroad.

Researchers at recruitment specialists Hudson have interviewed over 4,000 employers across the country in their effort to gain an understanding of the direction of the job market in 2012.

The data gained through their efforts has shown that all sectors have been able to maintain a positive hiring outlook.

While 54 per cent of firms were planning on keeping their internal population consistent over the next 12 months, another 35.9 per cent of respondents indicating that they would be moving to actively increase their permanent workforce within the next three months.

In contrast, those looking to reduce staffing numbers were restricted to the remaining 10.1 per cent of executives surveyed.

The Employment Expectations 2012 report identifies the highest levels of expectation to be in the mining markets at a massive 57.7 per cent of new hiring activity, but says that all sectors covered by the survey yielded positive expectations.

In particular the construction and property sectors are expected to increase hiring, driven largely by increased inter-business spending from the resources industry.

Professional services were also shown to be pursuing an increase in permanent staffing with close on half of respondents planning on installing new personnel within the year.

Speaking on the report’s findings, Hudson Asia Pacific’s chief financial officer Mark Leigh explained that the “positive uplift in expectations” was due to a spike in demand across a broad range of sectors.

Leigh asserted: “Despite the current international uncertainty, and changing conditions at home, employment expectations in Australia on the whole remain positive, particularly in the resources, transport and construction and engineering sectors.

“Furthermore, we expect high demand in certain roles, such as engineering, geology, HSE and operational roles as well as for customer facing IT specialists.”

As these markets begin to expand and local talent pools are targeted for experienced workers, savvy managers may begin to investigate the possibilities available through skilled international employees.

Registered migration agents will be able to assist in delivering a range of services to these firms that can help to ensure that an application for sponsorship is accepted by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

While there are a number of legal conditions that need to be met before this kind of hire can be entered into, migration consultants will be able  to advise managers of their chances of success before a decision is made – saving an organisation both time and money in the long term.

It came in the same as the revised November figure and compared to a consensus forecast of 5.3 percent.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics said the number of people employed fell by 29,300 to 11.4 million last month, although much of the losses were in the part-time sector while full-time jobs rose 24,500 to 8.051 million.

The participation rate, or people actively seeking work, was 65.2 percent, compared with 65.5 percent in November.

Professor from Australian National University’s Crawford School of Economics and Government, said most of the 180,000-odd overseas higher education students in Australia had to raise about $20,000 a year to fund their tuition.

“They’ve got to find it up front,” he said. “If they could find a way of paying it back later, depending on their future income, that would take away a major barrier.”

He said Australia had broken new ground in marketing, the use of agents, work rights and English-language and migration pathways. HECS-style loans could be another way “to keep ahead of the game”, he said.

“Having pioneered HECS and knowing how it all operates, (it) could be another way of keeping at the forefront at a time lots of other competitors want to enter that arena.”

The team will grapple with logistical questions such as the public-private mix of loans, the extent of any government subsidies, which governments would pay those subsidies, and how to ensure students would repay their loans, particularly those from countries with inefficient tax systems.

the team would also look at ways of collecting HECS-style repayments from skilled migrants who’d arrived in Australia with qualifications obtained overseas.