The Motor Trades Association of Australia has called for automotive trades to be added to the Federal Government’s skilled visa priority processing categories.
The Government’s latest framework prioritises occupations supporting law enforcement, defence, healthcare, teaching and construction, with agriculture and fisheries also identified. Automotive trades remain eligible for skilled visas but do not receive priority processing.
MTAA estimates the industry is short 38,000 automotive trade professionals and technicians.
Executive director Bruce Billson said the omission overlooked the automotive workforce supporting many of the priority industries.
“Ambulances need servicing. Construction equipment needs maintaining. Trucks need repairing. These essential services all depend on skilled automotive workers,” he said.
MTAA’s 2026 Industry Skills Shortages Survey found more than 90 per cent of automotive employers considered recruitment difficult or very difficult. The industry’s vacancy fill rate is 48 per cent, while the average number of applicants per vacancy has fallen from 8.2 in 2024 to three in 2026.
Almost seven in ten employers expect shortages to worsen during the next 12 months.
Billson said skilled migration should complement domestic training, supported by stronger apprenticeship pathways and training incentives.