The bizarre list of ‘vital’ workers the government says we need to import – but one key group doesn’t make the cut

The Australian government has listed yoga instructors, flower growers and beauty therapists as vital workers the country needs to import but has left off certain key construction workers.

A revamped Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), published on Tuesday, outlines the key industries where the government believes temporary skilled migration is required to keep the economy moving. 

The list of 456 occupations, including jewellery designers, winemakers, dieticians and picture framers, has some notable omissions.

Although there are many newly-added construction-related jobs, such as plumbers, bricklayers, and carpenter joiners, a building industry body has criticised a lack of other key roles.

These include many machinery-operated jobs such as drillers, bulldozers, excavators and hoist and lift operators. 

‘We remain dismayed that in the middle of a housing crisis and chronic labour shortages, key roles in the industry have been left off the list,’ Master Builders Australia’s CEO Denita Wawn said.  

‘You can’t build a house, schools, hospitals or roads without crane, bulldozer and excavator operators, who have not made the cut. 

‘The evidence speaks for itself – all building and construction industry occupation groups remain in shortage and should be on the list. 

‘The Federal Government has missed an opportunity to signal to the industry and the community that they are really committed to fixing the housing crisis and addressing labour shortages.’

Ms Dawn said that labour shortages were the biggest reason for increased housing costs and construction delays.

‘We’ve seen construction costs increase by 40 per cent over the last five years and build times from approvals to completions blow out by over 44 per cent over the same time period,’ she said. 

Other jobs on the list include flight attendants, journalists, yoga instructors, pastry chefs and goat farmers. 

‘The government is determined to tackle the skills shortage, especially in the construction sector,’ said Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs Tony Burke.

‘This is an important step to attract qualified workers to help build more homes.’

Meanwhile, Minister for Skills and Training Andrew Giles said the revamped list was about trying to attract more construction workers to help keep the building industry moving. 

‘The Core Skills Occupation List plays an important role in ensuring Australia has a targeted skilled migration system that addresses genuine skills gaps in the economy, and works in conjunction with our work to train Australians,’ he said.

The visa reforms are set to come into effect from December 7.