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The latest Australian update to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) was released at the end of November. The ANZSCO categorises all occupations in the Australian and New Zealand labour markets and is jointly developed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and Statistics New Zealand. It outlines the tasks performed within an occupation, and the level of education needed for specific jobs.

The ANZSCO is used to inform and support government policy and programs. Significantly, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) refers to the ANZSCO when assessing applications to skilled visa programs – in particular, whether a visa applicant’s experience meets the requirements for a specific nominated skilled occupation.

New occupations added to the ANZSCO (but not yet added to the DHA Skilled Occupation List) include:

NOTE: While these new codes have NOT yet been included on the Skilled Occupation List (a list that determines which occupations are eligible for Australian work visas), it is likely they will be added soon to reflect skill demands across the country.

Key points of note for this latest release include:

• Several professions in the trades sector were added – including plumbers, cabinet makers and furniture makers. Other trades such as bricklayers, carpenters, plasterers, and tilers had their specialisations updated and revised. This reflects the 2022 Skills Priority List released by the National Skills Commission, which found that shortages in technicians and trades workers occupations continue to persist.
• IT skills continue to be in demand. New occupations such as data analyst and data scientist were added to the list, showing that ICT professionals with a high level of skills, knowledge and experience continue to be in demand.

Notably, a comprehensive review of ANZSCO is currently being undertaken to identify where the classification system may need to be revised. We will continue monitoring this review, as it will no doubt impact how skilled visas are assessed and prioritised in the future.

What does this mean for employers and workers?

ANZSCO has been antiquated for a long time and has tended to lag actual employer demand for occupations. This latest list – particularly the addition of occupations related to data analysis – indicates the cogs of change are finally turning, if slowly. We will still need to wait for these changes to ANZSCO to be reflected in the Skilled Occupation List.

Still, along with a new Ministerial Direction prioritising offshore applications, now is an opportune time for overseas workers with experience in either trades or IT to explore their options for getting their Australia work visas.