5 Reasons Australian Businesses Should be Hiring International Students
Moving to a new country to pursue studies and work is a big commitment. It takes courage, yet many employers have a negative perspective about hiring international students. Here are 5 popular misconceptions about hiring international students and why we see this reality very differently.
1. International students can’t speak English.
In order to obtain a student visa to study in Australia, most international students must demonstrate their English language proficiency through a standardised test. These include IELTS, TOEFL, Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic etc. International and domestic applicants (whose first language is not English) must meet English language proficiency requirements for entry into academic programs. Therefore, this means that students will minimally have a decent operational command of the language, often handling complex language without issues.
2. If we employ an international student, they’ll just go back home after a year or so.
Many international students wish to stay in Australia after graduation from their studies and, if offered a long-term opportunity, they are very likely to accept and show commitment to their employers.
3. There is no reason to employ international students when there are so many local students who need jobs.
Allowing international students to apply for internships, graduate programs and jobs significantly increases the talent pool. This ensures employers can select the very best students and graduates.
Many employers are biased towards domestic students because they are more familiar with this student type and have a perception that they obtain higher quality students by only looking locally. They often also believe that engaging with international students/graduates is too much of a challenge.
4. International students wouldn’t ‘fit in’ at our workplace – all of our staff are Australian.
There are multiple benefits associated with a culturally diverse workforce. Having a staff member who brings different skills, attitudes and ideas can increase the level of innovation in the workplace. Exposing current staff to different cultures and ways of working is essential in today’s globalised labour market and can really be an asset.
5. International students are not allowed to work in Australia.
Many students and graduates are permitted to work in Australia. Different international students have different working rights, which can be checked using the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) website. Currently, visa Subclass 500 rules stipulate that international students are permitted to work 40 hours per week as Australia tries to curb the labour shortage.
Article source: https://www.mbanews.com.au/many-employer-issues-with-international-students/
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