A Secure and Successful Multicultural Workforce - Submission to the Employment White Paper
In its submission to the Employment White Paper, FECCA emphasises the need for comprehensive reforms to Australia’s employment and migration systems to better integrate multicultural workers and migrants into the workforce and society. Advocating for a simplification of migration pathways, addressing systemic racism, and enhancing protections for migrant workers. The submission highlights challenges such as barriers to skills recognition, exploitation of temporary visa holders, and systemic discrimination that prevent migrants from fully utilising their skills. FECCA recommends measures like replacing employer-sponsored visas with industry-sponsored visas, implementing robust anti-racism frameworks, and ensuring migrants have access to affordable, effective pathways to skill recognition and employment matching.
FECCA underscores the value of a multicultural workforce in critical sectors like aged care and health and advocates for increasing recognition and remuneration for bilingual and bicultural workers. It calls for tailored support for multicultural women, youth, and regional migrants, emphasising the importance of flexible workplaces, childcare access, and culturally competent career counselling. The submission also recommends enhancing government oversight of skills assessment bodies, creating tailored programs to fast-track employment for migrants, and addressing the growing dependence on temporary visa holders in the care sector. These reforms, FECCA argues, are essential for creating a fairer, more inclusive Australia and harnessing the full potential of its multicultural population.
