This year, some of Australia’s biggest and best known companies – Telstra, National Australia Bank (NAB), Officeworks and Woolworths – have decided to cut jobs locally, while creating more overseas. Those will mainly be in India, the Philippines and Vietnam. Sending jobs offshore – also known as “offshoring” – is not new. For decades, companies have shifted call centres, routine processing and back office work offshore. Now, firms are also increasingly moving other higher value roles overseas. These include technology development, artificial intelligence (AI), analytics, cybersecurity, finance, digital operations and even human relations.These are not peripheral activities. They are the capabilities that help organisations innovate, solve problems and compete. Australian companies are not simply moving work offshore. They are globalising key parts of their corporate brain.What’s been announced?A series of announcements this year suggest this “offshoring” shift is accelerating among leading Australian companies. It’s hard to give specific job numbers for each company, as some of these have come from leaks reported to the media. But here’s a snapshot of what’s been reported recently.Telstra (February 2026): emails shared by Telstra staff with the ABC showed up to 650 Australian jobs could go. A spokesperson for a Telstra joint venture confirmed some roles will shift to a “specialist hub” in India.NAB (March and May 2026): the union representing bank workers said NAB was preparing to reduce staff in its Australian business division by 170 overall, while adding 237 roles in India and Vietnam. NAB confirmed some changes are coming, but not the number of jobs impacted by the move. The Australian Financial Review has also reported NAB could expand its existing Indian and Vietnamese workforces by more than 1,000 employees. Officeworks (May 2026): it has confirmed some Australian jobs will go, but not the details of how many or where. The ABC reported it could see hundreds of technology, support, and back-office roles lost in Sydney and Melbourne. Some of these were expected to go to India and the Philippines, while others would be replaced by AI.Woolworths (June 2026): it’s confirmed plans to send some of its 10,000 corporate staff offshore. Woolworths did not say which jobs would go, or how many. But several media outlets reported it was expected to be hundreds, likely to come from teams including information technology, finance and human resources. Why companies say they need to actThe companies have argued these changes are not just about cost-cutting, but also about needing to improve efficiency, being able to access people with the right specialised skills and staying globally competitive.For instance, Woolworths said the changes were needed to “remain competitive with the rapid expansion of international players in Australia’s market”, while continuing to deliver lower prices for customers. Their logic is understandable. Technology workers are expensive and often difficult to recruit locally. Countries such as India, Vietnam and the Philippines now possess large pools of highly skilled engineers, data scientists and digital professionals. The concern is not simply that jobs are moving overseas. It is what Australia might miss out on if this trend continues.What’s Australia really losing?The roles increasingly being sent offshore – such as AI, analytics, cybersecurity and digital operations – are where firms develop products, analyse customers, improve processes and build future capabilities.If more of this work moves offshore, Australia risks retaining the brands and customers, but gradually losing expertise needed to underpin long-term competitiveness.There is also a talent pipeline issue. Many of these positions are entry points for graduates and early-career professionals. They are where people acquire skills and prepare for more senior leadership roles.The effects may not be immediately visible. But if this trend continues, Australia risks becoming more dependent on imported expertise while producing fewer opportunities for career development here.What can we do?Finding and hiring the best global talent has become a normal feature of modern business. The challenge is ensuring that offshoring complements, rather than replaces, Australia’s ability to develop its own workforce.That will require a better coordinated response from government, universities, TAFEs and employers.Australia needs stronger investment in AI, cybersecurity and digital skills, alongside better graduate pathways and reskilling opportunities.Universities and TAFEs need to do more to prepare students for an AI-driven labour market. This means focusing not only on technical expertise, but also on adaptive skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, digital and AI literacy, as well as encouraging lifelong learning.Corporate leaders also have a role to play. Companies based in Australia benefit from Australian consumers and operating in a stable, open economy. Not every role can be expected to stay in Australia. But our major companies should be as transparent as possible about which capabilities are being moved offshore – and how they are still going to invest in local talent development.Consumers, shareholders and superannuation funds can also ask companies harder questions. For instance, if high-value work is being sent offshore, what’s being done to ensure the next generation of Australian talent still has a pathway into these careers?Access to global talent can strengthen Australian firms. But we also need to see greater investment in the next generation of Australian workers, who will shape our economic future.The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.