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More accessible childcare and improved migration schemes are critical to greater workforce involvement, say accounting bodies.
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Reduce barriers for women, migrants ‘to stem labour shortage’
02 December 2022
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Increasing workforce adaptability and reducing barriers to work were crucial to reduce labour shortages and counter the ageing population, according to both CPA Australia and CA ANZ.
In separate submissions to the Treasury on the employment white paper, the two bodies highlight the importance of increasing female involvement in the workforce.
“According to the ABS, the main reason women give for not being available to start a job or work more hours is that they are caring for children,” said CPA Australia.
CPA Australia recommended the government continue its commitment to reducing early childcare costs as well as improving access to before and after school childcare.
CA ANZ agreed and said the government should prioritise measures to increase women’s workforce participation.
This included “making quality early childhood education and childcare more accessible and affordable, increasing childcare subsidies, and flexible working arrangements” it said.
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Incentivising older Australians to return to the workforce was another strategy recommended by CPA Australia.
“While acknowledging that older Australians did not necessarily represent a large pool of potential workers, the white paper could consider the following suggestions to increase their workforce participation, increasing the amount age pensioners can earn before their pension is reduced to the tax-free threshold ($18,200), and offering older Australians seeking a return to the workforce free or highly subsidised training in areas with the greatest need,” said CPA Australia’s submission.
The two associations recommended that the government turn to upskilling labour to increase the number of possible candidates for various roles in the workforce.
“We are in a period of rapidly increasing technological disruption and industry changes,” said CPA Australia. “In this environment, upskilling and reskilling the workforce is vital.”
It recommended an expansion of the Skills and Training Boost to include non-accredited training along with sole traders, who currently miss out.
CA ANZ concurred, saying investment in reskilling and upskilling in areas such as digital and financial capability would reduce barriers for potential employees as well as attract more mature-aged workers.
Both bodies also called for the government to expand the availability of migration pathways as a part of solving the skills shortage.
“A well-considered immigration program forms only part of what should be a broader strategy to stem the skills and labour shortage and provide an uplift in the nation's human capital,” CA ANZ said.
“Temporary migration can help alleviate transitory skill shortages, and permanent migration also has an important role to play in resolving skills and labour shortages which, in its absence, would likely persist.”
CPA Australia said the government needed to expand its migration scheme from the current narrow employer-nominated program.
“We find that easily accessible pathways to permanent migration are fundamental to attracting skilled migrants to Australia in a very competitive global environment,” said CPA Australia.
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