Skilled, qualified workers are struggling to find work in their chosen field in Canberra due to Visa status restrictions. Photo: Yanran Li.
When recruitment firm Whizdom advertised an entry-level IT specialist role, it expected to keep applications open for two weeks. But looking over the 80 applications that poured in over the weekend, managing director John McCluskey called time.
“Every single applicant was overqualified. Shortlisting them was kind of heartbreaking,” he says. “When we interviewed, all the candidates were so smart.”
It wasn’t a complete surprise. Whizdom had already seen the trend firsthand – not just in this hire, but also when it placed a qualified CPA who had been working as a barista. Both were small efforts to chip away at a bigger problem.
“There are more over-skilled workers in Canberra than anywhere else in Australia,” John says.
As a recruiter in the nation’s capital, Whizdom is uniquely placed to observe the collision between local job market demands and visa restrictions.
The result: highly qualified professionals – engineers, accountants, cyber experts – are working in cafes, delivering food or driving rideshares.
Many arrive on regional or student visas, drawn to Canberra’s classification as a regional area. But once here, they find themselves locked out of the roles for which they’re trained.
“They come under false pretences,” John says. “They can’t get work in their chosen field due to restrictions in workplaces that require citizenship.”
It’s a recurring issue in a city where the federal government and its contractors dominate the job market. Even if a job isn’t directly within government, it’s often tied to it – and requires security clearance only available to citizens.
“There is some leniency on a state government level, in that they will sometimes consider people on a permanent residency, but there is no such pathway for federal government,” John says.
Whizdom CEO John McCluskey says businesses could be missing out on an under-tapped talent pool if they default to citizen-status only – for roles that don’t need it. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
While Australia’s skills shortage persists in a number of industries, these Visa status restrictions are having unintended consequences in the Canberra market, according to John.
He says companies are paying a premium for technical talent because of a “perceived shortage”. When in reality, Canberra is peppered with overqualified workers.
“I’m a chatty person and I’m interested in people. I strike up conversations with my Uber drivers, people at petrol stations and the people who deliver my food – so many of them are engineers and cyber professionals, but they’re doing what they have to to feed their families,” he says.
“Businesses who need the people in this smart, capable, qualified talent pool, are ignoring them.”
John acknowledges the need for security clearances in many government-linked roles, but argues more businesses can benefit by rethinking default citizenship requirements – especially in the private sector.
“There might be opportunities in smaller businesses like ours that aren’t focussed on government work,” he says. “Try to think about whether a role truly requires citizenship. You might find some of your best employees that way.”
Candidates, too, must come to the party. Proactivity is key for skilled workers chasing professional success in the national capital.
“The work’s not necessarily going to come to you in Canberra. Sitting on LinkedIn and Seek won’t get you far,” John says.
“Make your own jam. Get out there and contact some SMEs. Ask for an internship for a few weeks, show them what you’re capable of. At the very least, you get the experience on your resume and who knows, you might just make yourself indispensable.”
For those lacking confidence in communication, he suggests practical steps: do online courses, practise with friends and family and push yourself outside your comfort zone.
“Get comfortable with discomfort, so when the opportunity comes, you’re ready to sell yourself.”
For more information, contact Whizdom.
