Australia Needs More Skilled Workers

There were reports shown that some part in Australia such as Queensland could suffer shortage from skilled workers - equivalent to more work in Australia offered. It is mainly due to insufficient supply and fierce competitions offered by other mining projects across the country and around the world.

According to the report published by Construction Skills Queensland (CSQ) and Energy Skills Queensland, a hard hit would be on the burgeoning coal seam gas (CSG) industry in the state. It is said that up to 92000 workers would be needed by the ongoing four coal seam gas projects in the region by Shell, Origin, Santos and BG Group.

There is a total of 18000 employees would be recruited as full time workers with stress on premium occupations such pipe fitters, welders, electrical, construction workers and instrumentation - an obvious basis of the said shortage. These growing concerns are also underscored by the new study. It quickly advances in age yet the retention rates of apprenticeship have been alarmingly low while it leaves a wider void for possible replacement on workers nearing retirement age. Plus, Australia skilled visa application seems to be difficult to comply for some overseas skilled workers.

It is said that the mining sector is poised to raid the ranks of the construction industry to complete the shortages seen in the resources industry. A large amount of workforce is really needed and should be boosted enough by 2013. Some skills from the sector of construction could possibly be fished out and enticed to transfer to the sector of mining - just to work specifically on the emerged segment of coal seam gas explorations.

The state government has undertaken the joint efforts and the private sector have addressed and cushioned the impacts of the projected skills shortages. Queensland authorities $10 million of earmarking as training funds for future workers sounds so tempting for prospective overseas skilled workers yet most of them are hesitant because of the oftentimes changing terms and conditions of Australian skilled visa.

So far, this initiative has attracted some 2000 possible skilled workers for deployment. The government assures that these skilled workers would be immediately dispatched into training. Australian state government also stressed its share support to Queensland's resources industry. The country aimed to develop a workforce that can build infrastructure needed for the emerging CSG/LNG sector. Of course, it involves the combined efforts of the energy and construction industries, government and training providers.

In connection to this, business groups argue political point-scoring over a small numbers of job seekers cloud more pressing and complex issues. This includes the issue on how infrastructure and resources can be managed to account for the country's needs of labor and a growing work force.

There are many developed nations still grappling with double-digit unemployment rates but unlike Australia, the country's jobless rate is expected to fall to 4.75% by the second quarter of next year, according to government forecasts. And increase in application for Australian work visa is also expected.

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Dylan Lautner
http://www.nationalvisas.com.au/