Study says Australian student visa holders struggle with cultural assimilation
September 30 2009 by Mark Johnstone
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Australian student visa holders are losing out on opportunities to work in Australia because they lack cultural assimilation skills, claims a recent study.
The study, which was commissioned by the Australian government, found that many young foreigners who have studied in Australia, even those who are highly skilled in professions that are suffering from skills shortages, are struggling to succeed in interviews.
The Centre for the Study of Higher Education, which carried out the study, found that students, particularly those who do not speak English as their first language, were having problems communicating successfully in the workplace.
The study’s project director Sophie Arkoudis said that overseas students often saw the ability to communicate effectively in interviews and in work as irrelevant. She explained, ''The students are very fixed on completing their course. However, many students may not see learning social language skills as relevant.”
The study concluded that, “the Australian employers interviewed sought well-rounded employees who not only have sufficient English language skills but also have the cross-cultural ability and the potential to adapt to working in Australia'.''
However, a spokesperson for Julia Gillard, the education minister, said she welcomed the study as it showed that 85% of migrants who had moved to Australia on student visas were able to find work in Australia within six months of graduating.
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