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Print Chapter 7 (PDF 286KB) | < - Report Home < - Chapter 6 : Appendix A - > |
Introduction
English language skills
English language tuition and translation services
Acceptance of recognised overseas qualifications by Australian employers
Work experience—offshore and local
Early identification of skills
Bridging courses
Bridging courses in professions
Bridging courses in trades
Job Network and social security
Impact of skills recognition processes on humanitarian entrants
Document and identity fraud
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Introduction |
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7.1 | This chapter covers other issues relating to skills recognition and licensing that impact on the mobility and employment of overseas trained workers in Australia. These issues include English language proficiency, acceptance of recognised overseas qualifications by Australian employers, work experience, early identification of skills and bridging courses. The chapter also considers the particular difficulties facing humanitarian entrants. Chapter 7 concludes with a discussion on document and identity fraud issues. |
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English language skills |
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7.2 | As Australian research has reinforced, ‘English language proficiency stands out as a key factor determining the ease of settlement and labour market success of immigrants’.1 This point was also supported in evidence to the inquiry. For example, Certified Practising Accountants (CPA) Australia commented that:
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7.3 | Under the General Skilled Migration (GSM) program, English language skills form an essential part of the recognition process. The Australian Skilled Recognition Information (ASRI) website states:
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7.4 | Additional points under the GSM program points test are awarded if the applicant demonstrates higher than ‘vocational’ English.4 To demonstrate vocational English, an applicant must achieve a band score of at least 5 on all components of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test : speaking, reading, listening and writing.5 Australia’s health professions, however, require a higher level of English ability and have mandated IELTS band 7 as the lowest allowable standard for clinical registration. |
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7.5 | English language skills play a vital part in a migrant’s search for work. Table 7.1, summarising data from the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs’ (DIMA) Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia (LSIA), matches the employment status of migrants at six and 18 months after arrival with their assessment of their English language ability immediately after arrival. Table 7.1 LSIA2—English proficiency and unemployment
Source DIMA, ‘Migrant Labour Market Outcomes’, Fact sheet No. 14, 22 April 2005 , http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/14labour.htm (accessed 17 August 2006 ). |
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7.6 | A number of recent reports have commented on the importance of English language proficiency on the labour market outcomes of migrants. One recent study has recommended a higher standard of English for skilled employment, particularly in the professions, and changes to the pre-entry IELTS levels for international students.6 |
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7.7 | CPA Australia, one of the assessing authorities for accountants (many international students have enrolled in accounting in seeking permanent migration to Australia), commented that its research had suggested that ‘English language skills are the key determinant for gaining professional accounting employment’:
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7.8 | With regard to requiring a higher standard of English for all skilled migrants, one witness suggested that consideration be given to raising English language requirements for particular professions rather than across the board:
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7.9 | In terms of English language proficiency for international students, DIMA commented to the Committee on the possible need to tighten up the English language requirements for people transferring out of the student stream and into the permanent resident scheme through the GSM program:
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7.10 | It is important that the efficacy of the English language component of the migration program be monitored to ensure that it continues to meet its objectives, given the significance of this area to the overseas skills recognition process. In particular, the Committee believes there needs to be emphasis on workplace English language training. Evidence over the course of the inquiry highlighted that ‘relatively small improvements in English speaking capacity would result in relatively large improvements in labour market status’.10 |
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7.11 | The Committee does not support increasing the IELTS requirement across all groups but rather favours a more targeted review of requirements on an occupation basis. The Committee also believes the English level competencies of migrants should continue to be monitored, particularly to ensure adequate vocational English standards, as discussed in Chapter 1. |
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7.12 | Recommendation 45
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English language tuition and translation services |
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7.13 | Witnesses emphasised the particular problems faced by migrants from a non-English-speaking background:
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7.14 | Migrants from a non-English-speaking background would benefit from English classes that ‘fast track acquisition of industry terminology and technical terms in their field’.13 The Committee supports the further investigation by DIMA of the merit of industry specific language courses. |
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7.15 | Witnesses also emphasised the need to provide ‘easy to understand information to people from a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) background’ and to consult migrant specialists such as Migrant Resource Centres ‘to review written materials to ensure they are easy to understand by people from NESB’.14 |
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7.16 | English language tuition is provided by the Australian Government through the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) to help newly-arrived migrants and humanitarian entrants (under certain visa categories) from non-English-speaking backgrounds settle successfully in Australia. (As discussed in Chapter 1, skills stream migrants under certain visa categories who have less than functional English incur an additional visa application charge.) |
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7.17 | The program is available to those who have been assessed by DIMA as not having basic English skills. DIMA funds organisations in each state and territory to provide tuition through AMEP, which provides up to 510 hours of basic English language tuition to migrants and refugees from non-English-speaking backgrounds. |
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7.18 | The Committee heard that 510 hours of English tuition was a ‘one size fits all approach’ that was insufficient for employment purposes, and that the eligibility of the program needed to be extended and based on need:15
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7.19 | Migrants and humanitarian entrants who are assessed by DIMA as having functional English are not eligible for tuition under AMEP. The Committee is concerned that those who do not qualify for English tuition, and those who have reached their maximum hours allocated, may still not have attained a level of English proficiency suitable for resuming their chosen occupations in Australia. |
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7.20 | The Committee acknowledges the impact that extending the eligibility requirements for AMEP can potentially have on employment outcomes, particularly of humanitarian entrants. The Committee notes that DIMA did not extend the 510 hours following its 2003 review of settlement services, mainly due to a shortfall in past take-up. DIMA should include a general review of the 510 hour limit in its next review of settlement services. |
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7.21 | The Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) provides a document translation service and a 24 hour a day, seven days a week, telephone interpreting service to migrants with limited English skills. DIMA provides eligible clients (mainly those with permanent visas) with fee-free extract translations into English of certain personal documents necessary for their settlement in Australia. |
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7.22 | The Committee heard that for eligible visa holders DIMA now funds only one document translation in each of the following categories: identity, relationship, facilitation, education and employment. However, witnesses observed that often translations are needed for multiple documents for skills recognition purposes.17 The Committee acknowledges the difficulties this may cause humanitarian entrants in particular, because of the requirements of government departments and assessing authorities for multiple documents to be translated:
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7.23 | The current restriction on translating services also falls short of AEI-NOOSR and Overseas Qualification Unit (OQU) requirements:
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7.24 | Recommendation 46
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Acceptance of recognised overseas qualifications by Australian employers |
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7.25 | One of the Committee’s terms of reference included i dentifying areas where Australia ’s procedures can be improved in terms of awareness and acceptance of recognised overseas qualifications by Australian employers. As DIMA commented:
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7.26 | This comment was echoed in other evidence:
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7.27 | This area was raised as of particular concern when it involved employer acceptance of overseas qualifications for those from non-English-speaking backgrounds:
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7.28 | The Committee was, however, pleased to hear that the Brotherhood of St Laurence had seen ‘evidence of employers showing increasing awareness and acceptance of overseas qualifications, skills and experience’.24 The importance of building local support networks and providing workplace cultural training to address this area cannot be understated. It is critical that an awareness be built of the value of overseas skills and culturally diverse workers to the workplace . |
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7.29 | DIMA’s Living in Harmony PartnershipsProgram promotes the benefits of diversity to Australian employers, business and regional areas to bring together business and migrant job seekers to make best use of the diverse skills and experience of this workforce.25 DIMA’s Australian skills expos and industry outsourced officers also further build awareness by industry and employers of the occupational skills of migrants. |
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Work experience—offshore and local |
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7.30 | Work experience is another important part of the overseas skills recognition process and, like English language proficiency, assists in achieving optimum employment outcomes. |
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7.31 | Under the GSM program, there are a range of work experience requirements where applicants must have been in a skilled occupation for specified periods immediately before applying. There is an exemption to the work experience requirement for those who have studied in Australia for two years or more — although this is currently under review, given the value placed by employers on work experience:
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7.32 | The Committee heard many claims of a preference by Australian employers for local work experience:
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7.33 | As one witness summed it up:
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7.34 | While employers may look for local work experience, it is often as a way of obtaining reliable references:
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7.35 | The Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Workers Union of Australia (CEPU) argued that it is:
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7.36 | The Committee’s report, To Make a Contribution: Review of Skilled Labour Migration Programs 2004, further commented on this area and examined potential avenues for improving migrant access to local work experience. Submissions to that Committee urged that:
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7.37 | The Committee noted a very similar range of comments over the course this inquiry. In particular, witnesses emphasised the importance of building local support networks and of training programs in workplace culture to assist migrants in presenting themselves favourably to Australian employers and recruitment agencies:
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7.38 | The Committee notes that professional bodies, such as CPA Australia, could be further supported to deliver skilled migrant transition to work courses, noting that they have large networks of members and good industry contacts to facilitate this area. |
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7.39 | T he Committee also heard about the results achieved through a range of state based work experience programs. The Victorian Government funds migrant employment programs with work experience components, including the Skilled Professional Migrants Program delivered by the Adult Multicultural Education Service34 and the Overseas Qualified Professionals Program delivered by the Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE.35 |
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7.40 | The Queensland Department of Employment and Training’s Breaking the Unemployment Cycle program includes work placement projects for unemployed migrants covering trades and professions. The Department also manages the Migrant Work Experience Program, delivered by Corporate Solutions Queensland, which provides training in administration.36 |
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7.41 | The Western Australian Government’s Employment Directions Network includes a work experience program:
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7.42 | Some Migrant Resource Centres provide work experience programs funded by state government community grants schemes. Queensland’s Multicultural Development Association runs an employment program covering resume writing, job search activities, and interview preparation, and an office administration work experience program through a multicultural community jobs plan scheme.38 |
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7.43 | The Skillmax program in New South Wales aims to assist overseas trained people to better use and further develop their skills and qualifications through:
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7.44 | The Committee heard high praise for the New South Wales Government’s Skilled Migrant Placement Program and the Migrant Career Development Program. The Skilled Migrant Placement Program provided holistic pathways to qualifications assessment, bridging courses and work experience. It is reported that over 5,000 migrants were assisted at an average cost of $228 per person in the final 14 months of the program. The Migrant Career Development Program organised placements for skilled migrants in the public sector.40 |
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7.45 | Some were critical of the New South Wales Government decision to terminate the Skilled Migrant Placement Program and the Migrant Career Development Program, and remove the work experience component from the Skillmax employment support program.41 It appears that a key barrier to the development of work experience programs is the inability of service providers to cover the cost of insurance:
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7.46 | A number of witnesses noted that gaining access to employment related support programs was impeded by the fact that migrants resident in Australia for less than two years, excluding humanitarian entrants, are not eligible for the full range of Job Network services. This is discussed below. |
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7.47 | The facilitation of migrant employment was examined in depth in DIMA’s review of settlement services in May 2003.43 Another review of settlement services would be timely, given the dynamic nature of Australia’s migration program and the comments received by this Committee on this area over the course of two inquiries. |
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7.48 | Recommendation 47
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Early identification of skills |
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7.49 | A significant number of people who enter Australia through the humanitarian stream, or through a range of family reunion visas, hold professional or trade qualifications in their country of origin:
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7.50 | While research shows that refugees may be less educated than other migrants, this does not mean that as a group they have no skills at all. (The particular skills recognition issues facing humanitarian entrants are discussed below.) |
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7.51 | At present there is no requirement for pre-arrival assessment of migrants arriving outside of the skills stream, including humanitarian entrants, and it was argued that:
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7.52 | The need to consider what skills others beyond the skills stream migrant might bring was also raised by other witnesses:
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7.53 | A delay in assessing what skills a migrant has, and in addressing any inadequacies in their capabilities, can have severe consequences. As researcher Dr Birrell has commented:
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7.54 | The way in which individuals with skills, particularly those entering in the humanitarian stream, are identified appears to be by word of mouth, and not at all systematic:
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7.55 | The Committee believes it would assist in the settlement process if a skills report on each individual could be done at the same time as the rest of their documents were processed. This would not be to the level of a full skills assessment, but should at least list previous work experience and qualifications. This information should be provided, with the individual’s consent, to those groups involved in the settlement process and the relevant state or territory OQU. The OQUs, in consultation with those providing settlement services, would then have a starting point in identifying individuals who would benefit from bridging or other courses to enable their more rapid movement into work. |
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7.56 | Recommendation 48
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7.57 | The Committee also received evidence on the value of professional mentoring programs49 and notes the professional mentoring initiatives in place in Australia.50 |
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7.58 | As discussed in Chapter 6, the Committee noted the innovative online mentoring program provided in Canada called Canadainfonet and sees potential value in an online occupation mentoring program providing industry and state specific guidance on skills recognition before a migrant has entered Australia. Such a service would assist in establishing a professional network for migrants prior to settlement and be a source of informal information on skills recognition and licensing issues in particular occupations. |
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7.59 | Recommendation 49
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Bridging courses |
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Bridging courses in professions |
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7.60 | One of the Committee’s terms of reference is to identify areas where Australia’s procedures can be improved, including in the early identification of and response to persons needing skills upgrading, such as through bridging courses. |
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7.61 | Skills stream migrants may have skills gaps, which can mean delays in employment and time and cost to gain the skills required. The Committee notes the importance here of providing improved information to skills stream migrants about their professions before they arrive in Australia, such as through the occupational information on the new ASRI site, so that they may be able to address skills gaps before migration or prepare better for undertaking the necessary training on arrival. |
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7.62 | As the Department of Education, Science and Training commented, there is an important link here with recognition of prior learning:
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7.63 | There is existing bridging study assistance for overseas trained professionals under FEE-HELP:
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7.64 | A bridging course for overseas trained professionals involves undertaking higher education studies that enable an individual to meet specific academic or professional requirements for entry to a professional occupation in Australia. These requirements must be specified in an assessment statement. |
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7.65 | An assessment statement is a written statement which:
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7.66 | The assessment statement will specify a pathway for a person to qualify for entry into their profession in Australia. It may specify that they should undertake:
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7.67 | It is not necessary to be enrolled in what is normally regarded as a ‘course’ to be undertaking a bridging course for overseas trained professionals. Courses must not lead to a higher education award or exceed the equivalent of one year of full-time study. |
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7.68 | The different groups seeking overseas skills recognition may have varying needs for bridging courses. For example, some family migrants and humanitarian entrants with skills and qualifications gained overseas may experience greater difficulty in meeting Australia’s registration and licensing requirements. |
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7.69 | Similarly, as discussed earlier with regard to medical practitioners, some skills stream migrants may benefit from closely targeted, limited bridging courses that rapidly enable them to successfully complete assessment and registration processes. The Committee heard from a number of assessing authorities/professional bodies that offer bridging courses.55 |
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Bridging courses in trades |
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7.70 | A number of submissions made the point that there are few or in some cases no bridging courses available to allow migrants with some trade experience to reach the level often required for licensing.56 |
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7.71 | Some bridging and refresher courses are offered in some states. For example, TAFE NSW offer programs in vocational areas including engineering, accounting, electrical, automotive and hairdressing. The courses ‘have been specifically developed for overseas-qualified professionals, paraprofessionals and trades people seeking registration, licensing and employment’.57 |
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7.72 | While many individuals would be prepared to undertake bridging or other courses to address gaps in their skill levels, often cost is a significant disincentive:
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7.73 | Others called for:
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7.74 | While the Committee heard many comments about the importance of bridging courses, it received very little evidence about the range of courses available, particularly in the area of trades; the costs and timeframes involved in those courses; and the degree to which those bridging courses then led to successful overseas skills recognition. |
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7.75 | Recommendation 50
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7.76 | While it can be argued that, for those migrants arriving under the GSM and ESM programs, the pre-migration process should be sufficiently rigorous that the migrant is quickly able to obtain the necessary registration or licensing (if required) and commence work without any additional training, this may not always be the case. The Committee was advised that ‘the cost of getting qualifications recognised is a significant impost for all of these groups but for Refugee and Humanitarian Entrants, these costs can constitute a major barrier’.60 This is, however, not the only impediment:
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7.77 | There is no Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) equivalent system for the TAFE system in Australia. The Committee was conscious of the equity arguments applying if a special arrangement was provided for all skilled migrants and not for the general Australian population. However, the Committee does believe that special assistance should be available to those arriving under the humanitarian and refugee program to maximise their potential to join the work force and integrate as fully as possible into Australian society. |
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7.78 | The Committee therefore believes that a loan scheme should be available to those humanitarian entrants who need to upgrade their skills through TAFE bridging courses. |
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7.79 | Recommendation 51
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Job Network and social security |
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7.80 | Job Network is made up of government, community and private organisations contracted by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) to provide employment services. A number of Job Network providers specialise in providing assistance to migrants and humanitarian entrants.62 However, while humanitarian entrants may access the full range of Job Network services,63 other recently arrived migrants only have access to a limited range of Job Network services. |
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7.81 | Under the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Newly Arrived Residents Waiting Periods and Other Measures) Act 1997, newly arrived residents are required to wait for a period of two years before they are eligible to receive most social security benefits, including Newstart, sickness, youth training, widow, partner, parenting, mature age allowances and special benefit payments. Humanitarian entrants are exempt from this requirement. |
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7.82 | DIMA provides the following warning to migrants in regard to social security payments:
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7.83 | Access to full Job Network services is tied to a migrant’s eligibility for Centrelink payments. The Committee was advised that:
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7.84 | As discussed below, the Committee considers that the terms of service under Job Network contracts have a particular impact on humanitarian entrants. As one witness explained:
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7.85 | The Committee heard recommendations that ‘the two-year waiting period should be waived and should not be tied to eligibility for Centrelink benefits in respect of assistance offered by Job Network agencies’.68 |
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7.86 | The Refugee Council of Australia noted, in regard to refugee and humanitarian entrants that:
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7.87 | It was suggested to the Committee that Job Network contracts should focus on placing humanitarian entrants into retraining and skills assessment rather than just any form of employment. Figure 7.1 provides an example of how Job Network can neglect the potential of refugees. Figure 7.1 Case study—skilled refugee from Sierra Leone
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7.88 | Recommendation 52
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Impact of skills recognition processes on humanitarian entrants |
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7.89 | Earlier chapters have covered the general skills recognition and licensing issues of those arriving under the skilled migration program. One group, however—those arriving under the humanitarian program—faces particular issues in the area of skills recognition. |
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7.90 | Just over 13,000 visas were issued under the humanitarian program in 2004-05. A similar number has been allocated for 2005-06. Several submissions to the Committee detailed the particular challenges facing this group, and this was supported by data from DIMA’s Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia (LSIA). |
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7.91 | Unlike those who enter Australia through other migration streams, humanitarian entrants:
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7.92 | As stated by the South Metropolitan Migrant Resource Centre, the burden of skills recognition processes compounds the stress of settlement for humanitarian entrants:
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7.93 | Employers are generally not aware of the difficulties faced by humanitarian entrants.73 |
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7.94 | LSIA data shows that settlement outcomes for humanitarian entrants have weakened in the period between the arrival of the LSIA1 and LSIA2 cohorts. Humanitarian entrants in the second cohort have experienced lower levels of employment, lower workforce participation rates, lower levels of income and more health problems and psychological distress.74 |
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7.95 | The poorer settlement outcomes of humanitarian entrants are against the trend of improved settlement outcomes for migrants of other streams at LSIA2, and a general fall in the national unemployment rate from around nine per cent to 6.5 per cent between LSIA1 and LSIA2. During this period there have also been changes to the social security framework excluding non-humanitarian migrants from benefits in their first two years of settlement and refinements to the selection of skilled migrants.75 |
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7.96 | DIMA’s 2003 review of settlement services noted that the poorer outcomes for humanitarian entrants appeared ‘largely as a consequence of changes within source countries for the humanitarian program, with the more recent intake appearing to have experienced greater instability and disruption to their lives before migrating to Australia’.76 The report recommended further research and targeting of humanitarian entrants for settlement services.77 |
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7.97 | The composition of Australia’s humanitarian intake responds to changing international circumstances across the globe. Between LSIA1 and LSIA2, there was a substantial increase in the level of humanitarian entrants from Balkan countries, particularly the former Yugoslavia and Croatia. More recently, in 2004-05, Australia has received more humanitarian entrants from African countries (73 per cent), particularly Sudan, Liberia and Sierra Leone.78 |
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7.98 | Humanitarian entrants who arrived at the time of LSIA2 had a history of greater instability than those that arrived at LSIA1. The African dominated LSIA3 entrants face the additional difficulty of having lower average schooling than the humanitarian entrants from Europe, and are more likely to have spent a longer time in refugee camps than humanitarian entrants from Africa in previous years.79 |
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Support for humanitarian entrants |
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7.99 | Australia considers itself to be a leader in providing settlement support programs for humanitarian entrants.80 Permanent humanitarian entrants can access:
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7.100 | AUSCO and IHSS are delivered through contracted service providers. Volunteers also play a significant role in the delivery of IHSS services. |
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7.101 | Holders of temporary humanitarian visas have access to government services in recognition of their temporary stay. These services include certain Centrelink benefits, Medicare benefits, eligibility for torture and trauma counselling and access to the Early Health Assessment and Intervention Program.81 |
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7.102 | DEST provides two programs that assist non-skills stream migrants gain recognition of their qualifications and skills: FEE-HELP, discussed above, and the Assessment Subsidy for the Disadvantaged Overseas Trained (ASDOT) professionals. ASDOT is discussed below. |
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Suggestions for improvement |
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7.103 | Submissions and witnesses to the inquiry identified the need for clearer communication and better access to information on skills recognition and licensing arrangements for humanitarian entrants. It was recommended that:
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7.104 | The Committee made a number of recommendations in regard to communication and information provision in Chapter 3. |
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7.105 | The Committee recognises that AEI-NOOSR has improved the level of information on qualifications from refugee source countries:
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7.106 | The prohibitive cost of examination and retraining was also commented on in hearings and submissions.86 Figure 7.2 provides an example of the hurdles confronting a pharmacist from Sudan seeking to practice his profession. Figure 7.2 Case study—pharmacist from Sudan
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7.107 | The ASDOT funding program provided by DEST aims to assist overseas trained Australians pay for the cost of examinations. In some instances, the cost of having professional qualifications assessed may also be covered under ASDOT. Assistance is available for one attempt only at each examination stage or assessment. |
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7.108 | It was suggested that humanitarian entrants should automatically qualify for access to ASDOT to cover examination and assessment fees. ASDOT is intended for those in financial difficulty and applicants must be registered with Centrelink. Therefore, humanitarian entrants who are in work (often not in their professional field) may not be eligible as the criteria for ASDOT is very limited. ASDOT does not cover licensing and registration fees, is limited to twelve prescribed examinations and is not available to temporary protection visa holders. |
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7.109 | Recommendation 53
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7.110 | It was also suggested to the Committee that humanitarian entrants would benefit if ‘early assessment and support services could be integrated into the suite of settlement services provided through the IHSS and General Settlement programs’.88 |
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7.111 | As noted earlier in this chapter, the Committee heard that the provision of a maximum 510 hours of English tuition under the AMEP was not sufficient to meet the particular needs of humanitarian entrants. The Committee acknowledges that an additional 100 hours is available to refugees and humanitarian entrants through the Special Preparatory Program.89 However, the Committee remains concerned that in some cases this will still be insufficient to allow for the full integration of humanitarian entrants into Australian society. |
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7.112 | Recommendation 54
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7.113 | The Committee also heard that mentoring programs are particularly valuable for humanitarian entrants.90Given the Chance is an example of such a mentoring program. The program is provided by the Brotherhood of St Laurence and includes a 12-week labour market course and work experience components.91 |
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7.114 | The Victorian Government, for example, provides funding to various not-for-profit organisations and community groups, through schemes such as Workplace Participation Partnerships, Community Enterprise Grants and the Community Support—Strengthening Communities program, to assist the employment of migrants and humanitarian entrants.92 |
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7.115 | The Committee acknowledges the value of mentoring programs, particularly for humanitarian entrants, and commends state governments for funding these initiatives through various community grants schemes.93 The Committee encourages governments to support employment related mentoring programs targeting humanitarian entrants. |
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Document and identity fraud |
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7.116 | While a detailed examination of the extent to which there is document and identity fraud in the skilled migration program is beyond the scope of this report, the Committee did receive some evidence in this area. DIMA, for example, stated:
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7.117 | In terms of the capabilities of assessing authorities to detect fraud, DIMA also commented:
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7.118 | While the Committee notes these arrangements for VETASSESS and also is aware of the arrangements put in place by some assessment authorities such as the Australian Medical Council to prevent identity fraud,96 it is concerned that other assessing bodies may not have the same capacity to implement fraud detection systems. |
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7.119 | Recommendation 55
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Don Randall MP Chair |
1 | Productivity Commission, Economic Impacts of Migration and Population Growth , p. xxii. See also Birrell et al, Evaluation of the General Skilled Migration Categories. On the importance of English language proficiency to successful migration employment, as indicated in LSIA data, see Richardson , Changing Labour Force Experience of New Migrants, pp. 59-71. Back |
2 | CPA Australia, Submission No. 39, p. 2. Back |
3 | DIMA website, http://www.immi.gov.au/asri/background.htm#g (accessed 24 July 2006 ). Back |
4 | There are currently concessions, under certain circumstances, to this requirement for some visas under the GSM program and ENS. Back |
5 | The IELTS provides an assessment of whether candidates are ready to work in an English speaking environment . The test can be taken at test centres around the world. Results are graded across nine bands: band 1, non-user to band 9, expert user. Back |
6 | Birrell et al, Evaluation of the General Skilled Migration Categories, pp. 165-166. Back |
7 | Ms Nicholls , CPA Australia, Transcript of Evidence, 24 November 2005 , p. 37. Back |
8 | Mr Fitzhardinge , Western Australian Skills Advisory Board, Transcript of Evidence, 15 November 2005 , p. 3. Back |
9 | Mr Fox , DIMA, Transcript of Evidence, 27 March 2006 , p. 37. Back |
10 | Engineers Australia, Submission No. 76, p. 6. Back |
11 | Dr Tilbury , Transcript of Evidence, 15 November 2005 , p. 56. Back |
12 | South Metropolitan Migrant Resource Centre, Submission No. 99, p. 1. Back |
13 | South Metropolitan Migrant Resource Centre, Submission No. 99, p. 1. Back |
14 | South Metropolitan Migrant Resource Centre, Submission No. 99, p. 1. Back |
15 | See, for example, Mr Machar , Australian Refugee Association, Transcript of Evidence, 14 November 2005 , p. 64. Back |
16 | Mr Liston , Australian Refugee Association, Transcript of Evidence, 14 November 2005 , p. 63. Back |
17 | See, for example, Mr Player , Western Australian Department of Education and Training, Transcript of Evidence, 15 November 2005 , p. 18. Back |
18 | Western Australian Government, Submission No. 16, p. 4. Back |
19 | Western Australian Department of Education and Training, Submission No. 20, p. 9. Back |
20 | Mr Rizvi , DIMA, Transcript of Evidence, 5 September 2005 , p. 13. Back |
21 | Ms Jeremic, Training and Skills Commission SA, Transcript of Evidence, 14 November 2005 , pp. 17-18. Back |
22 | Engineers Australia , Submission No. 76, p. 7. Back |
23 | Dr Colic-Peisker , Transcript of Evidence, 15 November 2005 , p. 54. Back |
24 | Brotherhood of St Laurence , Submission No. 23, p. 2. Back |
25 | Living in Harmony program website, http://www.harmony.gov.au/partnerships/index.htm (accessed 2 August 2006 ). Back |
26 | Mr Rizvi , DIMA, Transcript of Evidence, 5 September 2005 , p. 9. Back |
27 | Dr Colic-Peisker , Transcript of Evidence, 15 November 2005 , p. 61. Back |
28 | Mrs Cunningham , Department of Business, Economic and Regional Development, Northern Territory, Transcript of Evidence, 14 November 2005 , p. 11. Back |
29 | Dr Colic-Peisker , Transcript of Evidence, 15 November 2005 , p. 54. Back |
30 | Mr Kingsley , Department of Education and Training, New South Wales , Transcript of Evidence, 23 November 2005 , p. 7. Back |
31 | CEPU, Submission No. 87, p. 7. Back |
32 | Joint Standing Committee on Migration, To Make a Contribution: Review of Skilled Labour Migration Programs 2004, p. 142. Back |
33 | Ms Nicholls , CPA Australia, Transcript of Evidence, 24 November 2005 , p. 38. Back |
34 | AMES Skilled Professional Migrant Program website, http://www.ames.net.au/spmp#Article-30 (accessed 16 July 2006 ). Back |
35 | See Ms Tkalcevic , Department for Victorian Communities, Transcript of Evidence, 24 November 2006 , pp. 11-12. Back |
36 | Ms Arrold , Queensland Department of Employment and Training, Transcript of Evidence, 9 March 2006 , p. 45. Back |
37 | Ms Hull , Department of Education and Training, Western Australia , Transcript of Evidence, 15 November 2005 , p. 29. Back |
38 | Multicultural Development Association, Submission No. 13, p. 3. Back |
39 | New South Wales Government, Submission No. 84a, p. 2. Back |
40 | Ms Howell , Migrant Employment and Training Taskforce, Transcript of Evidence, 23 November 2005 , pp. 21-22. Back |
41 | See Ms Rice, Migrant Employment and Training Taskforce, Transcript of Evidence, 23 November 2005, pp. 21-22. Back |
42 | Ms Rice , Migrant Employment and Training Taskforce, Transcript of Evidence, 23 November 2005 , p. 17. Back |
43 | DIMA, Review of Settlement Services for Migrants and Humanitarian Entrants, pp. 107-145. Back |
44 | Ms Karanastasis , Migrant Resource Centre of South Australia , Transcript of Evidence, 14 November 2005 , pp. 27-28. Back |
45 | Ms Rice , Migrant Employment and Training Taskforce, Transcript of Evidence, 23 November 2005 , p. 16. Back |
46 | Ms Maddrell , Migrant Network Services ( Northern Sydney ), Transcript of Evidence, 23 November 2005 , p. 33. Back |
47 | Birrell et al, Evaluation of the General Skilled Migration Categories, p. 163. Back |
48 | Mrs Andersch , Department of Premier and Cabinet, Tasmania , Transcript of Evidence, 27 February 2006 , p. 4. Back |
49 | For example see Ms Howell, Migrant Employment and Training Taskforce, and Ms Rice, Migrant Employment and Training Taskforce, Transcript of Evidence, 23 November 2005, p. 26. Back |
50 | For example, the Department of Health and Ageing funds the mentoring of overseas trained general practitioners in rural and remote areas, Submission No. 37, p. 3. Back |
51 | Dr Jarvie, DEST, Transcript of Evidence, 27 March 2006, p. 23. Back |
52 | DIMA website, http://www.immi.gov.au/asri/fees-assist.htm (accessed 4 July 2006 ). Back |
53 | DEST website, |
54 | DEST website, http://www.goingtouni.gov.au/Main/Quickfind/InternationalStudents/BridgingCoursesForOverseasTrainedProfessionals.htm (accessed 4 July 2006 ). Back |
55 | See, for example, Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council, Submission No. 5, p. 2; and Australian Dental Council, Submission No. 42, p. 4. Back |
56 | See, for example, Noel Hewitt Associates, Submission No. 1, p. 1; Tasmanian Government, Submission No. 77, p. 3; and Queensland Government, Submission No. 83, p. 24. Back |
57 | NSW Government, Submission No. 84, p. 14. Back |
58 | Mr Lewinski , Migrant Resource Centre of South Australia , Transcript of Evidence, 14 November 2005 , p. 39. Back |
59 | Ms Karanastasis , Migrant Resource Centre of South Australia , Transcript of Evidence, 14 November 2005 , p. 28. Back |
60 | Adult Migrant Education Services, Submission No. 9, p. 2. Back |
61 | Adult Migrant Education Services, Submission No. 9, p. 2. Back |
62 | The Committee understands this varies markedly across Australia . For example, the Committee was advised that Queensland does not have a migrant specific Job Network provider (see Ms Arrold , Queensland Department of Employment and Training, Transcript of Evidence, 9 March 2006 , p. 52). Back |
63 | Migrant Employment and Training Taskforce, Submission No. 18, p. 11. Back |
64 | DIMA, General Skilled Migration, March 2006, p. 41. This information is repeated across other DIMA migration booklets. Back |
65 | Ms Dunlop , Migrant Employment and Training Taskforce, Transcript of Evidence, 23 November 2005 , p. 15. Back |
66 | Ms Rice , Migrant Employment and Training Taskforce, Transcript of Evidence, 23 November 2005 , p. 17. Back |
67 | Mr Liston , Australian Refugee Association, Transcript of Evidence, 14 November 2005 , p. 62. Back |
68 | Multicultural Development Association, Submission No. 13, p. 5. Back |
69 | Refugee Council of Australia, Submission No. 35, p. 3. Back |
70 | Centre for Learning and Social Transformation, Submission No. 21, p. 5. Back |
71 | These points were raised by a number of witnesses and in submissions from the Refugee Council of Australia, Submission No. 35, pp. 1-5; the Brotherhood of St Laurence, Submission No. 23, pp. 1-5; South Metropolitan Migrant Resource Centre, Submission No. 99, pp. 1-2; and Ms Karanastasis, Migrant Resource Centre of South Australia, Transcript of Evidence, 14 November 2005, p. 28. Back |
72 | South Metropolitan Migrant Resource Centre, Submission No. 99, pp. 1-2. Back |
73 | Exhibit No. 10 , p. 13. Back |
74 | DIMIA, Report of the Review of Settlement Services for Migrants and Humanitarian Entrants, pp. 61-86. Back |
75 | DIMIA, Report of the Review of Settlement Services for Migrants and Humanitarian Entrants, pp. 61-86. Back |
76 | DIMIA, Report of the Review of Settlement Services for Migrants and Humanitarian Entrants, p. 61. Back |
77 | The recommendations for humanitarian entrants were funded and implemented through new contracts with service providers which began in October 2005. Back |
78 | DIMIA, Australia’s Support for Humanitarian Entrants , p. 19. Back |
79 | DIMIA, Australia’s Support for Humanitarian Entrants, p. 24. Back |
80 | DIMIA, Refugee and Humanitarian Issues: Australia’s Response, p. 40. Back |
81 | DIMA, ‘Temporary Protection Visas’, Fact sheet No. 64, http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/64protection.htm (accessed 10 July 2006 ). Back |
82 | Refugee Council of Australia , Submission No. 35, p. 4. Back |
83 | Refugee Council of Australia , Submission No. 35, p. 5. Back |
84 | Migrant Resource Centre of South Australia , Submission No. 32, p. 2. Back |
85 | Ms Weaver , Adult Multicultural Education Services, Transcript of Evidence, 24 November 2005 , p. 40. Back |
86 | See, for example, Adult Multicultural Education Services, Submission No. 9, p. 2; Migrant Resource Centre of South Australia, Submission No. 32, p. 3; and South Metropolitan Migrant Resource Centre, Submission No. 99, pp. 1-5. Back |
87 | Mr Lewinski , Community Participation, Employment and Training, Transcript of Evidence, 14 November 2005 , p. 29. Back |
88 | Migrant Resource Centre of South Australia , Submission No. 32, p. 3. Back |
89 | For details, see DIMA, ‘English Language Tuition for Adult Migrants’, Fact sheet No. 94, http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/94amep.htm (accessed 24 July 2006 ). Back |
90 | Ms Howell, Migrant Employment and Training Taskforce, and Ms Rice, Migrant Employment and Training Taskforce, Transcript of Evidence, 23 November 2005, p. 26. Back |
91 | Brotherhood of St Laurence , Submission No. 23, pp. 4-5. For an overview of other mentoring programs and related issues, see Exhibit No. 53. Back |
92 | See Department of Victorian Communities website, http://www.grants.dvc.vic.gov.au (accessed 17 July 2005). Back |
93 | The Committee is aware that DIMA is considering expanding its Settlement Grants program to include employment mentoring. See speech by Hon Andrew Robb , AO, MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Change in Culture, at the Victorian Immigration and Settlement Conference, Melbourne , 19 July 2006 . Back |
94 | Mr Rizvi , DIMA, Transcript of Evidence, 5 September 2005 , p. 14. Back |
95 | Mr Stewart , DIMA, Transcript of Evidence, 27 March 2006 , p. 36. Back |
96 | See Mr Frank, AMC, Transcript of Evidence, 24 May 2006, pp. 14-15. Back |
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