Turning the tide on skills shortages

International students embarking on a professional year (PY) program after completing their degree are almost twice as likely to find employment in their chosen field.

Swinburne College chief executive officer, Mr Andrew Smith, said 66 per cent of Swinburne’s PY graduates were employed in their field within six months of graduation. This compares with 37 per cent of all graduating international students working in their field of study, according to official federal government statistics from 2010.

Swinburne offers PY programs in accounting and computer science, specifically designed for international graduates seeking an additional pathway from university to employment.

The Skilled Migration Internship Program in Accounting (SMIPA) has been developed with CPA Australia, the Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Institute of Public Accountants. The Professional Year in Computer Science is accredited by the Australian Computer Society (ACS).

"A great strength of the PY program is its focus on Australian workplace communication and culture," Mr Smith said. "When coupled with the technical skills learned in their studies, the PY produces work-ready graduates who have the skills and knowledge to make an immediate impact in the workplace."

Athar Nasir (pictured above) is one such student. He spent more than a year working in a pizza shop after being unable to get a domestic job in his profession despite a commerce degree.

Like tens of thousands of fellow overseas students with quality degrees from Australian universities, he faced the seemingly insurmountable twin barriers of not having experience, nor being a resident.

But Mr Nasir is now working full-time for Bentley Partners after being offered the job during the internship that comes as the key element of the professional year brokered by Swinburne.

Similarly, fellow SMIPA graduate, Ms Novi Mayasari, says while she was introduced to her present accounting job through an independent connection, the Swinburne PY taught her key communication and job skills.

"I learnt a lot, not only during the internship, but in class about how to communicate with people and clients, and with certain situations where you get a lot of work. We learnt a lot about time management," Ms Mayasari said.

The success of the pair – and growing numbers of their fellows – in winning jobs in their professions, represent the first signs that recommendations stemming from an independent review of Australia’s skilled migration program in 2006 is bearing fruit.

The review – by Dr Bob Birrell, Professor Sue Richardson and Dr Lesleyanne Hawthorne, found while skills shortages may be short-term, they are also "harbingers of a longer term, demographically driven tightening of labour supply", and Australia needed a highly effective system for choosing skilled migrants.

The national PY program recommended by the review – believed yet to be formally evaluated – was aimed at encouraging overseas students to do another year learning the practical skills employers required so they might do better in the labour market.

Completion of a recognised PY provides significant bonus points towards migration, but only if done in courses accredited by five key professional societies in the priority disciplines of accounting, computing and engineering.

An accredited PY program is required to "familiarise participants with the norms and values" in Australian workplaces, teach effective and professional communication and include an internship.

Mr Nasir and Ms Mayasari are among 1000s of Australian tertiary educated overseas students turning to professional years to get a better understanding of the Australian business environment.

The Australian Computer Society (ACS) says there are now over 1000 graduates of PYs and many have gained employment through their internship placement, with over 70 per cent employed in their chosen occupation within six months of graduation from the PY.

ACS President Anthony Wong says the program ‘is working well’ to develop work-ready graduates to help target ICT skills gaps, predicted to reach an estimated 25,000 jobs by 2020. Demand for ICT professionals is expected to escalate further with the implementation of the National Broadband Network.

CPA Australia's higher education executive, Ms Caroline Armstrong, also strongly backed the four-year-old initiative, and said there was anecdotal evidence it was working.

"There are two key elements; it’s teaching the students about employer expectations in Australia, and most importantly introducing them to an Australian employer.

"From the perspective of employers, we have found these internships brokered by the education providers turn international students into talented individuals seeking work. International students can often be judged as a group," she said.

As the complexity of the business environment and its regulation continues to grow, people need more than technical skills to get ahead in the accounting profession, she said.

"The internship period - which is supported by the provider – means they can learn on the job, and what we see is the student’s confidence grows dramatically," she said. "As does the employer’s confidence in allowing the intern to do more detailed work, which as an accounting degree graduate they are well positioned to do.

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