An Australian parliamentary committee has recommended easing the permanent residency pathway for skilled temporary workers and the “best and brightest” international students to help address the country’s skill shortages accentuated by the pandemic. In its final report tabled to the federal parliament on August 9, the Joint Standing Committee on Migration  has laid out a detailed proposal  for  a more flexible migration system that can “adapt to emerging labour market needs.” “The plan would coordinate the efforts of state and federal governments to ensure Australia’s persistent skills shortages and ­future workforce needs are addressed through Australia’s higher education and vocational education systems, employment services and the skilled migration program,” the report said. One of the proposal’s key elements is overhauling the system for identifying skill shortages to obtain a more accurate understanding of the occupations requiring skilled migrants now and into the future. In addition, the committee suggests the federal …