Click here to download the full submission
The Migrant Workers Centre (MWC) welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions to inform the refresh of Victoria’s Strategy for International Education (the Strategy).
International education plays an important role in Victoria’s social, economic, and cultural life. However, many international students experience ongoing insecurity during their studies due to cost-of-living pressures, housing insecurity, and temporary visa arrangements. These factors shape students’ day-to-day experiences and are particularly relevant for ELICOS (English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students) and VET (Vocational Education and Training) students.
The submission highlights how education, work, and visa conditions intersect for international students. As paid work is necessary for many students, the conditions of that work have a direct impact on educational outcomes and wellbeing and must be considered within an education-focused strategy.
MWC also emphasises the importance of sustained investment in specialist, place-based, and culturally appropriate services. Evidence from programs delivered through the Study Melbourne Hub shows that accessible and integrated services support early intervention, improve student outcomes, and help prevent exploitation.
By centring international students’ lived experiences and access to appropriate assistance, the Strategy can better support student wellbeing and the long-term sustainability of the international education sector.
Summary of recommendations
Recommendation 1. Explicitly recognise fair, safe, and decent work as a core goal of the refreshed Strategy, and embed this objective across all action plans, partnerships, and performance indicators.
Recommendation 2. Adopt the outcomes that international students feel safe at work, understand their rights, and are empowered to exercise those rights as key metrics of success.
Recommendation 3. Provide increased and sustained investment in integrated, place based, and culturally appropriate student support services, ensuring they are adequately resourced to advance fair, safe, and decent work and to respond effectively to students’ needs.
Recommendation 4. Expand funding for social and economic supports, such as subsidised public transport, for ELICOS and VET students to help them manage cost of living pressures and participate fully in education and work.
Recommendation 5. Ensure the refreshed Strategy complements and reinforces Commonwealth efforts to tackle migrant worker exploitation, including through coordinated prevention, enforcement, and support measures.
