Hidden assets: partner-migration, skilled women and the Australian workforce

The purpose of this research was to provide: an understanding of the experiences of partner migrant women entering Australia under the Skilled and Family streams who are seeking employment; and a series of recommendations for practical interventions to support partner migrant women entering Australia to gain employment. The study took a national focus and qualitative data was collected from face-to-face interviews and focus groups with migrant women who arrived in Australia on Skilled and Family visas. Face-to-face interviews were also conducted with service providers and employers who have contact with partner migrant women. The interviews and focus groups detailed: expectations of finding work in Australia; job searching activities; employment outcomes; barriers to finding work; mental health and wellbeing; unemployment and settlement; strategies to find employment; advice to other partner migrant women; and solutions for government and service providers. The findings explore the experience of respondents who were currently employed. These findings have demonstrated that the experience of securing employment for many partner migrant women can be a solitary and frustrating one.

The recommendations are that: (1) an early intervention program be developed and piloted; the intervention would specifically be designed to meet the needs of skilled migrants including partner migrant women to assist their transition to the Australian labour market; (2) funding options be explored to finance a nationwide intervention to assist partner migrant women to access paid employment; (3) information and knowledge about the types of services available to assist partner migrant women enter the Australian labour market be widely available and easily accessible; (4) employers are involved in the development of an intervention to assist partner migrant women to integrate into the Australian workforce; and (5) the early intervention program trial to support skilled migrants on an Australia wide basis be evaluated in terms of process, outcome and impact.

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