Annual Report 1996-97

Sub-programme 2.3: Recognition of Overseas Skills

Objective

To contribute to the efficient functioning of the labour market and to make more effective use of migrant skills.

Resources

Description

The functions of the National Office of Skills Recognition (NOOSR) which administers this sub-programme are to:

• provide policy advice on overseas skills recognition issues to the Minister, government agencies, other organisations and to individuals;
• provide comparative assessments and assessments by examination for the overseas trained, including assessments for applicants for migration to Australia;
• undertake coordination, training and facilitation with a range of authorities to improve the provision of assessments for people with overseas training;
• manage bridging course and assessment fee support programmes;
• develop information resources on the recognition of overseas skills in Australia; and
• promote international arrangements for skills recognition.

Performance Information and Outcomes

NOOSR carries out three categories of assessment for overseas trained applicants:

• comparative educational assessments (1 722 in 1996-97), for residents and temporary residents of Australia (see Table 22);
• comparative occupational assessments (1 435), as part of immigration processing procedures (see Table 23). This responsibility is being taken over progressively by professional bodies; and
• occupational assessments by examination (322), (see Table 24).

Table 22: Educational assessments: 1996–97

	Male		Female		Total
Qualifications	Total	Assessed as comparable1	Total	Assessed as comparable1	Total	Assessed as comparable1
Academic	448	316	437	326	1029*	744*
Technical	326	139	260	141	693*	307*
Total	744	455	697	467	1 722*	1 051*

Source: Departmental statistics

* Includes applicants whose sex is not indicated.

¹ Comparable educational awards means that the overseas qualification is able to be compared to an Australian higher education or vocational education and training award.

Table 23: Comparative occupational assessments: 1996–97

	Male		Female		Total
Occupational Group	Assessed	Recognised	Assessed	Recognised	Assessed	Recognised
Architecture	102	54	39	24	141*	78*
Social Welfare	53	41	139	114	193*	156*
Teaching	219	155	311	162	538*	320*
Other occupation/ profession	320	176	233	164	563*	343*
Total	694	426	499	464	1 435*	897*

* Includes applicants whose sex was not indicated.

Table 24: Assessment of skills by examination: 1996–97

	Male		Female		Total
Occupational group	Examined	Passed	Examined	Passed	Examined	Passed
Dietetics**	3	2	62	28	67*	30*
Occupational therapy**	1	0	40	21	57*	24*
Pharmacy
Preliminary	15	7	28	14	44*	22*
Final	8	2	12	8	20*	10*
Subtotal	23	9	40	22	64*	32*
Physiotherapy
Preliminary	9	6	40	23	49*	29*
Final	3	0	18	11	23*	12*
Subtotal	12	6	58	34	72*	41*
Veterinary Science
Preliminary	25	14	16	8	44*	24*
Final	9	7	8	6	18*	14*
Subtotal	34	21	24	14	62*	38*
Total	73	38	224	119	322*	165*

Source: Departmental statistics

* Includes applicants whose sex was not indicated.

** Examinations in these professions are conducted in a single session.

The Commonwealth provides funding for professionals with overseas qualifications in certain occupations to gain entry to professional practice in Australia by helping them to meet, or prepare to meet, recognition requirements. Total expenditure under the bridging programme in 1996-97 was nearly $3.5m. This includes the cost of:

• bridging courses (for 652 overseas trained professionals, 50 per cent of whom were women), see Table 25; and
• individual training programmes (for 186 participants).

Table 25: 1996–97 Participants in NOOSR bridging courses

Profession	Number of courses	Total participants
Doctors	9	153
Dentists	7	58
Nurses	4	61
Pharmacists	4	69
Veterinarians	1	10
Dietitians	1	8
Radiography	1	5
Accountants	1	74
Physiotherapists	3	28
Total	31	466

The NOOSR Assessment Fee Subsidy for Overseas Trained Australian Residents scheme commenced in January 1996. The subsidy covers the cost of assessment fees for eligible Australian residents seeking skills recognition in certain professions. In 1996-97, financial assistance was provided for 1 053 examination attempts at a cost of $611 055.

An independent evaluation of the bridging programme completed in August 1996 showed that 85 per cent were satisfied with the course they attended. Around 20 per cent of participants in the evaluation completed their courses through distance education. Almost half of these found this type of course delivery to be convenient as it enabled them to work and study at the same time. This mode of study was also more convenient for people who live in remote and rural areas. The evaluation study recommended that the option of study by distance education be extended to cover all professions where such an option was feasible.

Deakin University was commissioned in April 1997 to explore the potential for expanding the delivery of bridging courses by distance education. The final report is due late in 1997.

The Directory, which describes the processes for obtaining recognition of qualifications in 38 professions in the seven Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries and Australia, was launched in Australia on 30 October 1996. The Directory also provides country by country contact details for the organisations responsible for qualifications recognition in the selected professions.

NOOSR is assisting Australian professional bodies in five occupations (accounting, architecture, engineering, law and surveying) to investigate bilateral recognition arrangements with their ASEAN counterparts. During 1996–97, $98 543 was provided from the Industry Development International Education and Training programme for this purpose.

During 1996-97, NOOSR took over a project for the Human Resources Development Working Group of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum to develop best practices in engineering accreditation, recognition and professional development, with the aim of increasing the mobility of qualified engineers in the APEC region. The project will identify practices which encourage mutual recognition and recognition agreements; develop international benchmarks, links and opportunities for professional engineers; and provide quality assurance. Participating countries to date include Australia, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and the United States of America.

Continuing discussions with several European countries in 1996-97 will lead to:

• improved level of recognition of Australian qualifications; and
• Australia signing the new Joint Council of Europe and UNESCO Convention on the recognition of qualifications concerning higher education in the European region.

Major Publications and Periodicals

Directory of Commonwealth Higher Education Functions 1997, DEETYA, Canberra, 1997

Higher Education Funding Report for the 1997–99 Triennium, DEETYA, Canberra, 1997

Higher Education in Australia, AGPS, Canberra, 1996

Higher Education Participation Rates—Australia 1975–1995 (Final), Canberra, 1997

Higher Education Participation Rates—Australia 1996 (Preliminary), Canberra, 1997

Higher Education Students Time Series Tables, AGPS, Canberra, 1996

Internationalisation and Higher Education: Goals and Strategies (Occasional paper no. 15), DEETYA, Canberra, 1997

Thematic Review of the First Years of Tertiary Education Australia, DEETYA, Canberra, 1997

Trends in University–Industry Cooperation in Australia (Occasional paper no. 14), DEETYA, Canberra, 1997

A Fair Chance (winter edn 1996), AGPS, Canberra, 1996

A Fair Chance (summer edn 1997), AGPS, Canberra, 1997

An Evaluation of Cooperative Projects for Higher Education Students with Disabilities, DEETYA, Canberra, 1997

Administrative Guidelines Manual for Higher Education on HECS and Fees, DEETYA, Canberra, 1997

Assessing Learning in Universities, Professional Development Centre, University of New South Wales, the Committee for the Advancement of University Teaching and DEETYA, University of New South Wales Press, 1996

Committee for the Advancement of University Teaching Annual Report 1995, AGPS, Canberra, 1996

HECS: Your Questions Answered, AGPS, Canberra, 1996

Reflecting on University Teaching Academics’ Stories, Committee for University Teaching and Staff Development, DEETYA, Canberra, 1997.

Report on Expenditure of 1994 Quality Assurance Programme Grants, DEETYA, Canberra, 1996

The Open Learning Deferred Payment Scheme: Your Questions Answered, DEETYA, Canberra 1996

Selected Higher Education Finance Statistics 1995, AGPS, Canberra, 1997

Selected Higher Education Research Expenditure Statistics 1994, AGPS, Canberra, 1997

Selected Higher Education Staff Statistics 1996, AGPS, Canberra, 1996

Selected Higher Education Student Statistics 1996, AGPS, Canberra, 1996

Selected Higher Education Student Statistics Preliminary 1996, AGPS, Canberra, 1996

A Review of Support Funding for Indigenous Australian Students in Higher Education, D. C. Ham, AGPS, Canberra, 1996

Australian University Activity in Vietnam and Mechanisms for Cooperation, S. Fahey, AGPS, Canberra, 1996

Computer-mediated Communication in University Teaching, B. Hesketh, M. Gosper and J. Andrews, AGPS, Canberra, 1996

Evaluation of the Australian Research Council Large Grants Scheme: A Report of the Scoping Study to Guide the Evaluation, L. Grigg, Canberra, 1996

Examination Practices and Procedures in Australian Universities, D. W. Piper, D. D. Nulty and G. O’Grady, AGPS, Canberra, 1996

Factors Affecting Performance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students at Australian Universities: A Case Study, C. J. Bourke, J. K. Burden and S. Moore, AGPS, Canberra, 1996

Financing and Effects of Internationalisation in Higher Education: An Australian Country Study, M. Baker, J. Creedy and D. Johnson, AGPS, Canberra, 1996

Flexibility, Technology and Academics’ Practices: Tantalising Tales and Muddy Maps, P. G. Taylor, L. Lopez and C. Quadrelli, 1996

Higher Education Governance and Management: An Australian Study, V. L. Meek and F. Q. Wood, DEETYA, Canberra, 1997

Influences on the Course Experience Questionnaire Scales, M. Long and T. Johnson, DEETYA, Canberra, 1996

Integrated Document Access: Australian Research Directions, M. Brittain, M. Colmer and A. Christie, AGPS, Canberra, 1996

Internationalisation and Higher Education: Goals and Strategies, K. Back, D. Davis and A. Olsen, AGPS, Canberra, 1996

Internet, ARRNet and Academic Work—A Longitudinal Study, H. W. Bruce, AGPS, Canberra, 1996

Knowledge-based Cooperation: University–Industry Linkages in Australia, T. Turpin, D. Aylward, S. Garrett-Jones and R. Johnston, AGPS, Canberra, 1996

Managing the Introduction of Technology in the Delivery and Administration of Higher Education, P. Yetton and Associates, DEETYA, Canberra, 1997

National Review of Specialist Nurse Education, R. L. Russell, L. Gething and P. Convery, DEETYA, Canberra, 1997

Outcomes of a University’s Flexible Admissions Policy, E. Ramsay, D. Tranter, R. Sumner and S. Barrett, AGPS, Canberra, 1996

Report on Research Funding Programmes 1996—Grants and Fellowships Awarded (vol 2), AGPS, Canberra, 1996

Report on Research Funding Programmes 1996—Introduction and Summary Tables (vol 1), AGPS, Canberra, 1996

Research-coursework Doctoral Programmes in Australian Universities, K. Trigwell, T. Shannon and R. Maurizi, DEETYA, Canberra, 1997

Student Support Services and Academic Outcomes: Achieving Positive Outcomes, J. Promnitz and C. Germain, AGPS, Canberra, 1996

The Australian Postgraduate Research Award Scheme: An Evaluation of the 1990 Cohort, M. Baker, F. Robertson and H. Toguchi, AGPS, Canberra, 1997

The Broadening of University Education: An Analysis of Entry Restructuring and Curriculum Change Options, L. Rosenman, AGPS, Canberra, 1996

The Effectiveness of Different Models of Work-based University Education, E. Martin, DEETYA, Canberra, 1996

The Good Universities Guide to Access & Equity Programmes 1997–98, D. Ashenden, S. Milligan and T. Clarke, DEETYA, Canberra, 1997

The Pipeline Project: An Investigation of Local Infrastructures to Educate Aboriginal Professionals for Community, Professional and Industrial Organisations in the Illawarra and Surrounding Regions, R. Gluck and K. Draisma, DEETYA, Canberra, 1997

The Road Forward? Alternative Assessment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students at the Tertiary Level, P. Christensen and I. Lilley, DEETYA, Canberra, 1997

Towards Internationalising Visual Arts Curricula, G. Leong, B. Power, P. Mason and B. Wright, DEETYA, Canberra, 1997

Women, Research and Research Productivity in the Post-1987 Universities: Opportunities and Constraints, E. Deane, L. Johnson, G. Jones and N. Lengkeek, DEETYA, Canberra, 1996

Best Practice Guide for Professional Bodies including the Guiding Principles for the Assessment and Recognition of Overseas Skills and Qualifications, DEETYA, Canberra, 1997

Country Education Profile: Egypt, (2nd edn), DEETYA Canberra, 1997

Country Education Profile: India, (2nd edn), DEETYA Canberra, 1997

Country Education Profile: Jordan, (2nd edn), DEETYA Canberra, 1997

Country Education Profile: Lebanon, (2nd edn), DEETYA Canberra, 1997

Country Education Profile: Turkey, (2nd edn), DEETYA Canberra, 1997

Guiding Principles for the Assessment and Recognition of Overseas Skills and Qualifications, DEETYA, Canberra, 1997

Overseas Skills Update, no. 4, 1997

Recognition of Professional and Technical Qualifications in Australia, DEETYA, Canberra, 1997