Western Australia’s employment minister has embarked on a significant recruitment drive here in a bid to counter a shortfall of skilled workers in the state over the next six years.
Peter Collier – there’s Irish in there somewhere, eh? – described Western Australia as an “economic powerhouse” at a recruitment drive in Dublin on Friday.
The region expects to make massive inroads in the spheres of oil and gas exploration in the coming years – and Mr Collier believes that the shortfall of employees could reach a figure of 150,000 by 2017.
Quoted in the Irish Independent, he said, “With more than €145bn of resource and infrastructure projects planned, western Australia is on the cusp of a 25-year expansion, which will drive the nation’s economy.”
An open day held by TR7 Total Human Resources in Limerick earlier this month advertised that Western Australia was seeking to entice 1000 Irish emigrants Down Under.
Perth is the capital of Western Australia, with around 1.7m of the territory’s 2.3m population living in the Perth metropolitan area.
In addition to the gas and oil sector, the Australian authorities are also seeking bodies to plug major gaps in construction and healthcare.
It’s estimated that around 50,000 Irish people are currently in Australia on two-year working holiday visas, but families wishing to migrate to Western Australia can apply for the 457 sponsorship visa, which is available on the condition that you have received a job offer from an approved employer in Australia.
The 457 visa entitles the bearer to up to four years in Australia, with unlimited travel to and from the country, and you can also bring eligible family members who have an unrestricted right to work and study in Australia.
The 457 visa also leads to a successful application for permanent residency in many cases.
[Main picture via TheCreativePenn/Flickr Creative Commons]
