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The DriveAgent NewsroomSaturday, 19 September 2026
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MTAA calls for migration priority for automotive trades

MTAA has called for automotive trades to be given higher priority in skilled migration settings, citing shortages in key workshop roles and the Draft Core Skills Occupation List process.

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Concept illustration accompanying: MTAA calls for migration priority for automotive trades
Original DriveAgent concept illustration, not a photograph of the vehicle or event. DriveAgent · Editorial designAutotalk Australia

MTAA’s call on migration settings

The Motor Trades Association of Australia has called for automotive trades to be given higher priority in skilled migration settings. AutoTalk’s Industry News coverage places the story in mid-September 2026, and MTAA’s own material frames the issue as part of Australia’s automotive workforce crisis. The verified event is an industry push for migration treatment, not a confirmed policy change. 3414

MTAA’s submission to Jobs and Skills Australia on the Draft Core Skills Occupation List points to shortages in motor mechanics, diesel technicians, automotive electricians, panel beaters and vehicle painters. The association is linking those gaps to the migration framework that uses the CSOL as one of its entry points for skilled visa pathways. 4710

What the shortage case is based on

The argument is being made against a broader backdrop of longstanding labour pressure in automotive and engineering trades. Related material cites a shortage of about 38,000 skilled workers and earlier government occupation papers also describe widespread shortages in automotive and engineering trades workers. The precise current figure in late 2026 is not independently confirmed in the supplied material. 51115

MTAA has also said the response should not rely on migration alone, with training and apprenticeship support part of the same conversation. That matters for Australian readers because the debate is about workshop capacity and recruitment settings, but local timing or practical impact has not been confirmed. 41014

Our take

In our view, the significance of this move is that MTAA is trying to turn a familiar labour shortage complaint into a specific case for migration prioritisation. One possible implication is that the association wants automotive trades treated more like other shortage occupations already examined through formal occupation lists, rather than as a general workforce issue. 4710

In our view, the practical relevance is that any change to skilled migration settings could affect how hard-to-fill workshop roles are framed in policy, even though no immediate government response is confirmed here. For Australian operators and workers, the point is less about an announced outcome and more about whether these trades gain clearer recognition in the migration system. 414

Sources

How we research and correct our articles

  1. Autotalk Australiaautotalk.com.au · 18 Sept 2026 · accessed 19 Sept 2026
  2. Welcome toautotalk.com.au · 3 Dec 2021 · accessed 19 Sept 2026
  3. Industry News - Autotalk Australiaautotalk.com.au · 16 Sept 2026 · accessed 19 Sept 2026
  4. MTAA calls for automotive trades to gain migration priorityautotalk.com.au · 16 Sept 2026 · accessed 19 Sept 2026
  5. Addressing Australia's Automotive Skills Shortagerehmansheriffgroup.com · 12 June 2025 · accessed 19 Sept 2026
  6. McLaren confirms SUV days after Eagers buys into its Australian ...autotalk.com.au · 17 Sept 2026 · accessed 19 Sept 2026
  7. Motor Trades Association of Australiajobsandskills.gov.au · accessed 19 Sept 2026
  8. Australian-founded AI car data platform sold to US investorautotalk.com.au · 12 Feb 2026 · accessed 19 Sept 2026
  9. Evidence wins the day for core skills migration reformautotalk.com.au · 4 Dec 2024 · accessed 19 Sept 2026
  10. MTAA Responds to Australian Government Consultation ...mtaa.com.au · accessed 19 Sept 2026
  11. Motor Trades Association ofmtaa.com.au · accessed 19 Sept 2026
  12. MTAA Secures Inclusion of Core Auto Trades on Migration Listevmagazine.com · 4 Dec 2024 · accessed 19 Sept 2026
  13. Priority skilled migration list is a slap in the face to automotive2gb.com · 24 June 2021 · accessed 19 Sept 2026
  14. Motor Trades Association of Australia: Homemtaa.com.au · accessed 19 Sept 2026
  15. Automotive and Engineering Trades Workersjobsandskills.gov.au · accessed 19 Sept 2026