Minister Cash said the new occupations on the SOL reflect that there is a gap between the skills of Australians and the work that needs to be done.

“Cabinet makers and panelbeaters make a valuable contribution to the Australian economy. Migrants with these skills will enhance the size and skill of the Australian workforce,” Minister Cash said.

“Skilled migrants complement locally trained and skilled workers, help to create new jobs and contribute to the communities in which they live and work. The Government’s $6 billion annual investment in vocational education and training is also supporting our training system to offer a pipeline of local talent to help address skills shortages,” Senator Birmingham said.

The SOL was updated based on the findings of a review of Australia’s labour market and education and migration data by the Department of Industry and Science. The review also considered submissions by industry, unions, trade and professional organisations.

The SOL applies to independent points based skilled migration (skilled migrants not nominated by State or Territory Governments), Family Sponsored visa applications and Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa applicants in the Graduate Work stream. Occupational ceilings are set for each occupation on the SOL to limit the number of migrants under each occupation in this part of the migration programme.

Other key changes to the SOL include the removal of urban and regional planners, dentists and dental specialists. Additional occupations have been flagged for close review in next year’s process.

The new SOL comes into effect on 1 July 2015. It will be used for applications made from that date.