Chartered Accountants ANZ (CA ANZ) has welcomed the inclusion of 10 accounting, audit and finance related occupations on Australia's Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) released yesterday.
CA ANZ's Chief Executive Officer, Ainslie van Onselen, said the hard-fought win follows a year of sustained advocacy and stakeholder consultation.
"This change means Australian businesses will be able to access temporary skilled workers for accounting, audit and finance occupations which are currently in shortage across Australia, and unable to be filled domestically," Ms van Onselen said.
"We are pleased to see that the migration system will be streamlined through the provision of a single consolidated List, replacing complex, out of date and inflexible occupation lists for the temporary skilled visa program."
CA ANZ surveyed nearly 450 members at the start of 2024, and more than 80 per cent of respondents said their vacancy fill rates for accountant, auditor and finance manager roles were below 67 per cent.
CA ANZ also surveyed Australia's six largest professional services firms in May this year, and found hundreds of vacant roles for external auditors, general accountants and management accountants.
The occupations that CA ANZ and CPA Australia recommend that Jobs and Skills Australia include on the final CSOL which have been recognised on the final list are:
- Taxation Accountant
- Accountant (General)
- Management Accountant
- External Auditor
- Internal Auditor
- Finance Manager
- Financial Investment Adviser
- Management Consultant
- Cyber Security Specialists
- ICT Business Analyst
"I would like to thank the Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke, the Minister for Skills and Training Andrew Giles and the staff at Department of Home Affairs and Jobs and Skills Australia for listening to us and taking action on this important matter," Ms van Onselen said.
"I would also like to thank our members in Australia, who have diligently responded to our surveys on skills shortages and recruitment challenges, providing the necessary evidence base to support our submissions and the final CSOL decision.
"CA ANZ looks forward to working through the next steps with government on the final details of the core skills pathway, including the salary thresholds, to ensure that we have a strong accounting, audit and finance skills base to support the nation's economic sustainability."
To read CA ANZ's joint submission to Jobs and Skills Australia on the Core Skills Occupation List, visit www.charteredaccountantsanz.com/news-and-analysis/media-centre/press-releases/australia-needs-more-accountants-and-auditors
