Media agencies can survive without Poms, but we don’t want to
OMD’s Martin Cowie discusses the impact of abolishing the 457 visa and explores why media agencies benefit from working with overseas talent.
In an ironic twist, Malcolm Turnbull took to social media to deliver a worrying blow to the media industry’s access to overseas talent.
Our PM announced that 457 visas will be abolished and with it the business-sponsored route to Australian permanent residency that is so attractive to off-shore media professionals. The effect of these changes will inevitably put increased pressure on a market that already runs with a 6% vacancy rate, according to the MFA.
Ever since I arrived in Australia 13 years ago, on the very same 457 visa that is being abolished, there has been a long-standing joke about the number of ‘Poms’ in the industry and it’s true that for a time many media agencies were led by those ‘Poms’.
“Those under two years, who have travelled from afar on the promised route of becoming an Aussie, have had that opportunity snatched away from them.”
I was under the impression ALL 457 visa holders, even those who will have been on the visa for less than two years as of March 2018, would still be eligible for residency when their two years is complete.
So on balance the overall impact sounds positive yes ?
A skills shortage of ‘marketing specialists’ in this country
Now i’ve heard it all…
there is a huge skills shortage of marketing specialists in this country across many job functions
we don’t recruit enough at entry level
we don’t retain enough within the industry and within this market
Most concise & accurate summary I’ve read Martin of the issues now upon us. And every aspect of the affect you identify on big media agenices is affecting the big creative agencies from right now.
Here’s a tip to reduce the vacancy rate and stop poaching: stop paying the fat cats in the holding companies their ridiculous margins.
If the industry paid fairly and provided meaningful training and development for staff, you wouldn’t need to stress about overseas talent being in shorter supply.
When will agencies see the light?
I agree entirely. It amazes me how many people seem to be whinging, when agency fat cats are driving Ferrari’s and the grafters are often highly experienced migrants, who accept a meager wage, because they want a Visa. Modern day slave labour. It will be interesting to see if wages will go up? I can’t see it happening.
There are plenty of amazingly talented people in our industry that are being overlooked right now. It seems beyond comprehension that a local business needs 10% of the staff to be imported. Try getting a few more female, senior leaders in the business to tip that percentage and it may be a more fair playing field. This is just un-Australian in my view.
What’s missing is the right — replaced by the far right. It’s deplorable that The Australian is still peddling climate change as a hoax, and the Telgraph will not say a negetave word about Trump.
‘However, those under two years, who have travelled from afar on the promised route of becoming an Aussie, have had that opportunity snatched away from them.’
I’m really sick of hearing how people who have come on temporary Visas have had ‘opportunities snatched away from them’ and how hard done by they are.
Years ago, in an effort to improve my education and skills and increase my attractiveness as an employee, I took a year off work and travelled overseas to complete an MBA at a high level business school. The course and all my expenses were self funded and I was away from friends and family for a year.
Since returning I have applied for hundreds of jobs and, in 95% of cases, not even receiving a response. If I do get a response it’s ‘You don’t have enough experience or exactly the right skills. Good luck with your career’.
Where are my opportunities? Where is my reward for taking a risk and working hard to improve my career? What happened to the ‘fair go’? It doesn’t exist because people who come here from overseas and secure jobs would rather import more talent from their home countries rather than support and develop the local talent.
Companies cannot be trusted to grow and develop local people as part of developing and growing their business so the government has had to step in and force them to do so.
As someone who this directly impacts, I think the Australian marketplace will inevitably suffer from removing the marketing specialist PR route. My current role went to market three times without finding a suitable candidate before I filled the vacancy. I finished top of my Master course which produces about 15 domestic marketing graduates per year. I have made a significant investment in this country, only to now feel that the country no longer wants me even though my skills are highly valuable and in demand.
I have made a huge investment and received no reward either. You have a better chance to get an opportunity as a migrant than as someone born here.
As I said previously, my role was advertised three times and not filled by an Australian candidate. In addition, sponsor organisations spend significate resources to secure candidates on 457 visas. So I think there are absolutely skills shortages within the marketing specialist category. Removing this category only increases these shortages and widens the skills gap, making Australia less competitive internationally.
The reason it wasn’t filled is because they want people who have experience rather than having to train and develop people’s skills. There is no way there is a lack of marketing skills in Australia especially given the number of people completing MBAs here. That is just a ridiculous statement. There is an attitude in Australia that local talent is somehow inferior. Hopefully by being forced to taken on local people the company’s will see that they are wrong.