The free flow of #skilledprofessionals within the ASEAN
member states offers a wide talent pool for companies and the potential for
significant job growth.
Even though migrant labor in low-and medium-skilled jobs is
nothing new in the region, the free movement of skilled labor was developed to
help drive permanent growth in the region as skilled workers can help address shortages
within some Asian countries.
Mutual Recognition Agreements allow for the
recognition of skills, experience, and accreditations across ASEAN for
engineering, nursing, architecture, medicine, dentistry, tourism, surveying
and, accountancy.
These occupations have certain limitations and standards
which must be adhered to. These may include that they are licensed by the
regulatory body of their country and have some experience. Depending on the
occupation the applicant may have to be reviewed by a committee, as in the case
for engineers, or may be automatically recognized, for those working in the
tourism industry.
Unfortunately, the limitations, which include the small
number of occupations in the agreement and the difficulties of different visa
standards across the region, allow only a small amount of professionals to be
transferred. Many countries within the region also insist that these
professionals are either then replaced by local employees in time, or that the
position cannot be filled by local employees. Multinationals can bypass these
regulations by employing in one country and then relocating them where their
talents are needed.
South East Asia needs to encourage labor mobility in order
to alleviate the shortage in some countries of the region while providing work
for unemployed professionals from others. In order to do that, the richer
countries in the region need to put aside their fears of being swarmed by
migrants, while the poorer countries their concerns of losing their skilled
professionals to a brain drain.
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