SkillSelect Results Analysis for 2015-16 Program

webster By Mark Webster
Wednesday, 06 July 2016

Information on EOI Invitations issued through SkillSelect are now available for the full 2015-16 program year.

We have done an analysis of the results and these can be useful guidance for what to expect in 2016-17.

Most Popular Occupations

The top 20 occupations in terms of number of invitations are below.

The top 10 occupations are mainly in the accounting, IT and engineering fields. However, Registered Nurses were the second most invited occupation.

Outside the top 10, Medical Practitioners and teachers were also quite popular disciplines, as well as solicitors.

ANZSCO Occupational Group 2015-16 Ceiling 2015-16 Invitations % Filled Comment
2613 Software and Applications Programmers 5364 5364 100.0% Pro Rata - 60-65 required for 189 invitation
2544 Registered Nurses 13872 3252 23.4%
2211 Accountants 2525 2525 100.0% Pro Rata - 65-70 required for 189 invitation
2631 Computer Network Professionals 1986 1986 100.0% Ceiling Filled May 16
2335 Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers 1788 1788 100.0% Ceiling Filled May 16
2611 ICT Business and Systems Analysts 1536 1536 100.0% Pro Rata - 65-70 required for 189 invitation
2332 Civil Engineering Professionals 2970 1402 47.2%
2212 Auditors, Company Secretaries and Corporate Treasurers 1000 1000 100.0% Filled by September 15
2334 Electronics Engineers 1000 1000 100.0% Ceiling Filled May 16
2339 Other Engineering Professionals 1000 1000 100.0% Ceiling Filled May 16
2633 Telecommunications Engineering Professionals 1000 785 78.5% Over 50% Filled
2539 Other Medical Practitioners 1000 724 72.4% Over 50% Filled
2333 Electrical Engineers 1230 709 57.6% Over 50% Filled
2331 Chemical and Materials Engineers 1000 611 61.1% Over 50% Filled
2414 Secondary School Teachers 8352 602 7.2%
2531 General Practitioners and Resident Medical officers 3558 400 11.2%
2321 Architects and Landscape Architects 1650 326 19.8%
2713 Solicitors 3252 295 9.1%
2336 Mining Engineers 1000 275 27.5%
2411 Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers 1980 225 11.4%

Least Popular Occupations

It is also interesting to look at the least popular occupations.

There are a large number of trades in the bottom 20 - including construction, metalwork and automotive trades. This may reflect the difficulty of obtaining a skills assessment in a trade - the process can seem quite daunting and a trade test may be required.

Whilst Child Care Centre Manager is a common occupation for Graduate Temporary Subclass 485 visas, it is very rare for General Skilled Migration with only 19 invitations for the year. This is also an occupation assessed by Trades Recognition Australia.

A number of specialist medical and allied health occupations are also in the bottom 20 - Surgeons, Psychiatrists, Chiropractors and Osteopaths and Optometrists and Orthoptists. Again, this is probably also reflective of the difficult skills assessment requirements for the occupations.

ANZSCO Occupational Group 2015-16 Ceiling 2015-16 Invitations % Filled Comment
3331 Glaziers 1000 1 0.1%
3233 Precision Metal Trades Workers 1000 2 0.2%
3241 Panelbeaters 1134 3 0.3%
3941 Cabinetmakers 1530 3 0.2%
2711 Barristers 1000 4 0.4%
3334 Wall and Floor Tilers 1284 4 0.3%
3991 Boat Builders and Shipwrights 1000 4 0.4%
3222 Sheetmetal Trades Workers 1000 8 0.8%
1335 Production Managers 3582 9 0.3%
3211 Automotive Electricians 1000 10 1.0%
3422 Electrical Distribution Trades Workers 1000 10 1.0%
3332 Plasterers 1866 14 0.8%
1341 Child Care Centre Managers 1000 19 1.9%
2535 Surgeons 1000 26 2.6%
2415 Special Education Teachers 1158 27 2.3%
3132 Telecommunications Technical Specialists 1000 27 2.7%
3421 Airconditioning and Refrigeration Mechanics 1038 29 2.8%
1332 Engineering Managers 1014 30 3.0%
2534 Psychiatrists 1000 33 3.3%
2521 Chiropractors and Osteopaths 1000 34 3.4%

Most Difficult Occupations

There were a number of occupations which either filled very quickly in the 2015-16 financial year, or which required a higher pass mark for a 189 invitation.

The Auditors, Company Secretaries and Corporate Treasurers category was filled by September 2015 - a period of only 2 months. This reflects Immigration not properly monitoring the number of invitations in this category.

Accountants were pro rata for the entire year, but the number of invitations per month varied widely throughout the year. The minimum score for an invitation was either 65 or 70 for the year.

Certain IT occupations were also difficult to obtain invitations in. The most difficult was the ICT Business and Systems Analysts category - the minimum score for an invitation was 65 or 70 for all but one month of 2015-16. Software and Applications Programmers received invitations with 60 or 65 points. The Computer Network Professionals category also filled in 2015-16, but was never a pro rata occupation and required only 60 points for the year.

A number of Engineering occupations reached the occupational ceiling, and a number also were more than 50% filled. No engineering specialisation was pro rata in 2015-16, and 60 points was sufficient for an invitation.

ANZSCO Occupational Group 2015-16 Ceiling 2015-16 Invitations % Filled Comment
2212 Auditors, Company Secretaries and Corporate Treasurers 1000 1000 100.0% Filled by September 15
2611 ICT Business and Systems Analysts 1536 1536 100.0% Pro Rata - 65-70 required for 189 invitation
2211 Accountants 2525 2525 100.0% Pro Rata - 65-70 required for 189 invitation
2613 Software and Applications Programmers 5364 5364 100.0% Pro Rata - 60-65 required for 189 invitation
2334 Electronics Engineers 1000 1000 100.0% Ceiling Filled May 16
2339 Other Engineering Professionals 1000 1000 100.0% Ceiling Filled May 16
2335 Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers 1788 1788 100.0% Ceiling Filled May 16
2631 Computer Network Professionals 1986 1986 100.0% Ceiling Filled May 16
2633 Telecommunications Engineering Professionals 1000 785 78.5% Over 50% Filled
2539 Other Medical Practitioners 1000 724 72.4% Over 50% Filled
2331 Chemical and Materials Engineers 1000 611 61.1% Over 50% Filled
2333 Electrical Engineers 1230 709 57.6% Over 50% Filled
2332 Civil Engineering Professionals 2970 1402 47.2%
2336 Mining Engineers 1000 275 27.5%
2544 Registered Nurses 13872 3252 23.4%
2321 Architects and Landscape Architects 1650 326 19.8%
2341 Agricultural and Forestry Scientists 1000 171 17.1%
2525 Physiotherapists 1104 160 14.5%
2346 Medical Laboratory Scientists 1362 170 12.5%
2411 Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers 1980 225 11.4%

Conclusion

The SkillSelect Expression of Interest System can be very difficult to navigate and getting your strategy right is critical to success. Choosing the most beneficial occupation, factoring in any family or state sponsorship opportunities and getting the timing right all make a big difference to receiving an invitation.

If you would like advice on your situation, please book a consultation with one of our advisors. They will prepare an Immigration Roadmap outlining the best strategy for you to achieve your objectives.

References

Department of Immigration - SkillSelect Website

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