Billion Dollar Benefit

Talent is distributed equally, but opportunity is not.

The Billion Dollar Benefit is the huge economic potential we could realise if skilled refugees and migrants in Australia worked in their fields of expertise. Right now, one in four permanent skilled migrants work in jobs beneath their skill level. They deserve a chance to use their full set of skills and experience to build fulfilling lives and careers.

SSI and our advocacy partners are committed to supporting and unleashing the full economic potential of newcomers. Reducing employment barriers and embracing the skills of refugees and migrants can add billions to the Australian economy and plug critical skills gaps, while also providing sustainable employment pathways for newcomers. It’s a win-win-win.

Check out the following resources in the Billion Dollar Benefit series, and stay tuned for the launch of a collective advocacy campaign in early 2024. If your organisation is interested in getting involved, then please email us at billiondollarbenefit@ssi.org.au.

Visit the Billion Dollar Benefit website

The Roadmap

Launched on World Refugee Day in June 2023, this report outlines five actions to be implemented by 2025 to unleash the economic potential of refugees and migrants. It was based on the collective views of 50 experts who participated in the Refugee and Migrant Skills and Job Summit in March 2023 at Parliament House. More than 50 organisations have endorsed the Billion Dollar Benefit roadmap, including Allianz, IKEA Australia, ACOSS, the Salvation Army, and Jobs Australia.

Employer Guide

Welcoming Tech Talent is an employer guide with ten tips for employers to recruit, retain and welcome tech talent from refugee and migrant backgrounds. It offers a billion-dollar solution to Australia’s tech talent gap, with 60,000 tech professionals needed each year to meet the industry’s growth needs. Developed by SSI and the Australian Computer Society, and endorsed by LinkedIn, the guide highlights practical steps employers can take along the talent pipeline – from recruitment to onboarding to career development – to embrace the tech expertise of skilled refugees and migrants in Australia.