On 25 August 2025, Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) opened consultations on its advice to the Government on the 2025 Core Skills Occupations List (CSOL).
JSA has identified a group of occupations for stakeholder consultation. These relevantly include articulated truck and tanker truck driving, which the ABS now classifies as involving an equivalent skill level to a trade.
This submission draws on evidence from JSA, the IRU and Industry Skills Australia to show there is an occupational shortage of truck drivers.
There are currently 28,000 unfilled truck driver roles, but the gap is projected to increase to 78,000 in 2029 as drivers retire. The industry is taking action to train more drivers, but it will not be enough.
Given the economic consequences of the supply chain disruptions caused by driver shortages, the submission argues that articulated truck drivers and tanker truck drivers should be added to the Core Skilled Occupation List for migration.