As you may have seen, Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) has opened the Stakeholder Survey for the 2026 Occupation Shortage List (OSL). This survey is open until 18 March 2026.The survey is public and JSA are looking for a wide range of feedback across stakeholders, including: Education and training advisory bodies; Education and training providers; Industry groups; Peak bodies; Professional associations; Recruitment agencies/labour hire firms; Regional bodies; Unions; Employers; and Sole traders.The survey provides an important opportunity for you and your members to put forward evidence on occupations you believe should be rated in shortage in the 2026 OSL.This will help shape training and immigration settings for Australia, including the Australian Apprenticeship Priority List (AAPL) by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) by JSA, and the Skills in Demand (SID) visa by Home Affairs.When completing the survey, please provide as much evidence and supporting documentation as you can, including on:Quantitative data and documentation on the number of unfilled job advertisements or prolonged hiring challenges you or your members are experiencing and the reasons why.Qualitative insights such as research findings, surveys or reports highlighting recruitment challenges in your business or industry sector, providing evidence to support your case.
If you have any questions or require any other support, please contact the Insights and Planning team at iap@sacsa.org.au.