Australia’s industry seeks skilled migrants

Australia industries want skilled migrants
Employers across Australia welcome the confirmation from the Federal Government in considering a significant reform package to the general skilled migration program.
The Western Australian resources industry says Australia desperately needs skilled migrants to fill an additional 40000 jobs by the end of next year.

“Despite the best efforts of both industry and government policy settings to both train Australian workers and encourage people off welfare and back into the workforce, the stark reality facing our nation is we simply do not possess the number of workers needed to do the job,” said Minna Knight, , spokesperson for the resource industry employer group, AMMA.

The Chamber of Minerals and Energy in WA has released its ten year forecast of labour and infrastructure needs within the state’s mining, oil and gas sectors. It has joined the wider business community in urging the government to dramatically boost the skilled migration intake in next month’s budget.
Furthermore, speaking to reporters at the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association’s (APPEA) conference, Woodside Petroleum’s chief executive Don Voelte said: “Industry is making positive steps on these issues, but we need more flexibility bringing in foreign workers … to fill short-term labour gaps.” APPEA chief executive Belinda Robinson had recently said that the LNG industry has been hit hard by shortages in skills which is affecting their potential growth.

Its not only the mining sector – Restaurant and Catering Australia chief executive John Hart said he believed it had become more difficult for restaurants to get cooks and kitchen hands here on 457 visas since the requirement for English increased in 2009. Mr Hart said the requirements had made it particularly hard for chefs from non-English-speaking countries to come to Australia and that without immigration solutions, the chef shortage would worsen.

Figures show demand for chefs to use the 457 visa, the most commonly used program for Australian or overseas employers to sponsor skilled overseas staff to work here temporarily, is increasing since the global financial crisis.
In the 2008-09 financial year, 1140 chefs came into Australia on sub-class 457 visas. During 2009-10, despite the more difficult English language proficiency requirement being introduced, the number of chefs jumped to 1780.

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