Ahead of the federal budget later this month, drastic calls have been made to tackle Victoria’s worker shortage.
One industry that is particularly struggling is hospitality, with many restaurants and cafes forced to close their doors due to a lack of staff.
The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) has called on the federal government to invest in programs that will help get people into work.
On Monday, the business body unveiled its wish list, which includes plans to battle the worker shortage that is crippling multiple industries.
The top priority is to allow more flexibility in the visa conditions for migrant workers so they can work in other areas of need when there is a pressing demand.
This would help to address the current shortage of workers in some sectors of the economy, while also providing greater opportunities for migrant workers to earn a better income.
“The federal government needs to relax visa conditions as a matter of urgency to enable fast-tracked migration,” the body said in a statement.
“The portal would also help connect businesses with retrenched workers, people looking for a change in career and those considering returning to work after a period of time out of the workforce”.
“We need more people with the right skills in the right place at the right time to keep Victoria moving.”
“The federal budget is an opportunity to invest in the measures that will help address Victoria’s worker shortage and keep our economy strong.”
The VCCI also wants the state government to create a taskforce to investigate how to increase the number of international students in Melbourne, which it says has been hit harder than any other Australian city by the pandemic.
“The Covid pandemic caused a skills shortage in the Victorian tourism, visitor services, events and hospitality sectors, with more than 35 per cent of businesses at least partially reliant on international students to fill the gap,” the VCCI said.
The worker shortage is a complex problem that requires a range of solutions. The federal budget later this month is a key opportunity to invest in the measures that will help address the issue.
The federal budget is scheduled for October 25 with big-ticket items including the stage 3 tax cuts.
