(1) Is there a shortfall of a least 30 000 positions in the IT industry which are not being filled in Australia.

(2) Are a number of high technology Australian companies moving operations offshore because of this shortfall in qualified staff.

(3) Is the problem so serious that a special taskforce has been formed by employers in a desperate attempt to resolve this issue.

(4) What action is the Government taking to deal with this continuing crisis in the availability of qualified staff in the IT industry in Australia.

(1) I am aware that in August 1999 the Information Technology & Telecommunications (IT&T) Skills Task Force released the results of a national survey of the IT&T Industry, which estimated that during 1999-2000 the Industry would have approximately 30,000 positions to be filled by skilled IT&T employees. However, this did not purport to be an estimate of any shortfall in the filling of positions in the Industry. The Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business (DEWRSB), through its Skill Shortage Assessment activity, monitors skill shortages and has assessed that IT&T skill shortages are widespread but do not apply to all IT&T specialisations. A list of IT&T specialist skills (now generally referred to as Information Communications and Technology - ICT) that are in shortage has recently been published on the DEWRSB website and is attached.

(2) Information is not available regarding the numbers, if any, of Australian companies moving offshore because of ICT skill shortages.

(3) In 1998, through an industry initiative, an IT&T Skills Task Force was formed in response to industry concerns about IT&T shortages. Information about the IT&T Skills Task Force can be obtained from the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.

(4) The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts and the Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs have announced initiatives to address shortages. Information about these initiatives can be obtained from those Ministers.

In regard to my portfolio, DEWRSB provides advice to the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA) on skill shortages. DEWRSB works closely with DIMA in reviewing and implementing skilled migration policies and procedures and there are specific initiatives in the Migration Programme to facilitate the entry of skilled ICT workers, including considerable flexibility for temporary and permanent migration. DEWRSB also has many Labour Agreements covering ICT workers.

Australia's immigration arrangements for entry of ICT professionals are already highly streamlined. In 1999-2000 there was a gain of 8,000 ICT professionals. The Government has also announced further initiatives including:

using the contingency reserve allocation in the Migration Program to accommodate the rising demand to migrate from ICT professionals who have been trained in Australia. This will involve at least 2,500 places over and above the 76,000 places announced in the Migration Programme for 2000-2001;

from July 2001, successful Australian-educated overseas students with key skills, particularly ICT qualifications, can apply to obtain a visa for permanent residence under the Skilled-Independent and related categories without leaving Australia;

issuing a legally based Ministerial Direction to all immigration decision makers to give immediate processing priority to ICT professionals applying under the Temporary Business (Long Stay) visa and the Skilled Stream of the Migration Programme;

all ICT occupations will be recognised as 'key' positions, removing the need to test the labour market when looking to nominate an overseas worker for long-term temporary entry; and

ICT specialisations on the Migration Occupations in Demand List will be reviewed in consultation with the DEWRSB, the National Office for the Information Economy and with representatives from the ICT industry on a six monthly (rather than annual) basis to identify ICT specialist shortages.

* S = Shortage D = Recruitment Difficulty # = programming skills, not business skills

* S = Shortage D = Recruitment Difficulty

* S = Shortage D = Recruitment Difficulty

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