Thought for the day....

It doesn't hurt to take a hard look at yourself from time to time, and this
should help get you started...
During a visit to the Mental Asylum, a visitor asked the Director what the
criterion was which defined whether or not a patient should be
institutionalized.
"Well," said the Director, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon,
a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the
bathtub."
"Oh, I understand," said the visitor. "A normal person would use the bucket
because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup."
"No." said the Director, "A normal person would pull the plug." Do you want
a room with or without a view?

Job Opportunities - Registered Migration Agents

Visa Solutions Australia and Australian Immigration and Employment is on the look out for bright, enthusiastic and willing Migration Agents seeking to establish themselves within a growing firm. Our business includes opportunities with employer sponsored, business migrant, family and skilled visa applications.

There is also scope to undertake work in the refugee and humanitarian streams on occasion.We need people who can think outside the square and provide solutions to often complex immigration matters. Analytical ability and good writing skills are essential.The ideal candidate will also be able to handle the sales aspect of the business and deal with clients at a corporate and personal level. Remuneration may be salary plus commission or commission only depending on the individual.

For further information contact dan@aiae.com.au – all enquiries are treated as strictly confidential.

Skilled Independent Regional List for Western Australia

How the SIR visa operates in Western Australia!

HERE IS THE LIST OF SKILLS IN DEMAND FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA - IF YOU ARE QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED IN ONE OF THESE OCCUPATIONS, CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY!


Construction Project Manager

Production Manager (Manufacturing)

Production Manager (Mining)

Child Care Coordinator
Shortage in regional and outer metropolitan areas
Geophysicists

Quantity Surveyor


Shortage for specialists in
Civil Engineer
the Mining and Oil and Gas Sectors and Structural

Engineers
Electrical Engineer

Electronics Engineer

Mechanical Engineer

Production or Plant Engineer

Mining Engineers

Chemical Engineer


Specialists in Drilling,

Petroleum, Well, Cost,
Engineers
Planning, Scheduling,

Marine, Pipeline, Project Management, Reservoir and

Subsea Engineering
Accountant

General
Medical Practitioner

Anaesthetist

Dermatologist

Emergency Medicine Specialist

Surgeon

Registered Nurse

Registered Midwife

Registered Mental
Health Nurse

Dentist


Medical Diagnostic Radiographer

Radiation Therapist


Sonographer


Veterinarian


Audiologist


Vocational Education Teacher
Trades
Urban and Regional Planner

Occupational Health and Safety Officer

Civil Engineering Design Draftsperson

Electrical Engineering Design Draftsperson

Electronic Engineering Associate

Mechanical Engineering Technical Officer

Chef

Hotel or Motel Manager


Fitter
Metal Machinist
(First Class)
Instrument Fitter

Boilermaker

Pressure Welder

Welder (First Class)

Sheetmetal
Worker (First Class)
Mechanical Supervisors
Motor Mechanic
Automotive Electrician
Panel Beater
Electrical Supervisors
General Electrician
Electrician (Special Class)
Electrical Powerline
Tradesperson
Carpenter and Joiner
Carpenter
Bricklayer
Solid Plasterer
General
Plumber
Butcher
Cook

Skills Shortages in Regional Australia

Here is our list of the skills that are currently in demand in Rural and Regional Australia. Note also that many of these skills are also in demand in metropolitan areas.

• Boilermakers
• Welders
• Hydraulic Fitters
• Machinist
• Fitters
• Mechanical Fitters
• Electricians - Mining
• Auto Electricians
• Heavy Duty Fitters
• Fixed Plant Fitters
• Mobile Plant Fitters
• Electricians – Instrument Technicians
• Heavy Duty Diesel Mechanics
• Plant Mechanics
• Dentists
• Hairdressers
• Light Vehicle Mechanic
• Refrigeration Technician
• Electricians – Refrigeration Experience
• Registered Nurses
• Registered Midwives
• Mental Health Nurses
• Sonographers
• Psychiatrists
• Physicians
• Speech Pathologist
• Physiotherapist
• General Practitioners
• Air leg miners
• Diamond drill operators
• Farm qualified people (Farm managers, or people with agricultural certificates)

Working holiday visa program extended

Australian employers can now employ youth from Italy and France as the two countries have joined the list of nations taking part in the working holiday visa program.

Belgium has also agreed to join but ratification of the agreement is needed by its Parliament.

Australia has reciprocal working holidaymaker arrangements with 14 foreign countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, Republic of Ireland, Republic of Korea, Malta, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People’s Republic of China, Finland and the Republic of Cyprus.

Passport holders from any of these countries who are aged between 18 and 30, and who have no dependent children are eligible for an Australian working holiday visa.

Working holidaymakers are permitted a stay of 12 months from date of initial entry to Australia regardless of whether or not they spend the whole period in Australia. They are allowed to study or train for up to three months.

Working holidaymakers are permitted to do any kind of work of a temporary or casual nature and should be paid according to Australian award rates and conditions.

As the main purpose of the visit is for holiday and travel, work for longer than three months with any one employer is not allowed.

Australian Immigration and Employment - Contact

Street Address
524 Fitzgerald Street
North Perth 6006
Western Australia

Postal Address
PO Box 505
North Perth 6906
Western Australia

PHONE:
+61 8 9328 2221

FAX:
+61 8 9328 2992

E-MAIL:
dan@aiae.com.au

Meat Workers Wanted for Australia

MEAT WORKERS WANTED FOR AUSTRALIA

An Australian Company wants to employ Meat Workers and give them the opportunity of living in Australia.

The company is offering employment at two locations in South Australia.

The employee needs to pay for his or her own visa, airfare and accommodation. An Australian Finance company will lend the money for the airfare and visa to the employee. The employee will pay back the loan to the Finance Company from his or her weekly wages.

Initially, the employee only will travel to Australia work for 3 months. After 3 months an employee can bring his or her family to Australia, if the company is happy with his or her work.

If the employer is happy with the employee after 3 months of work, a minimum 2 year employment contract will be offered. After 2 years, an employee may apply for a permanent visa to Australia and then Australian Citizenship.

All employees must have the strength to work in these occupations

Mutton Slaughterperson
Tasks Include:
Slaughter Floor
Shackling, Y-Cut, Air knives, Plucks, Clear shoulders, Remove rectum, Remove paunch, Splitting down, Wax eyes, Strip-tie, Grading, Red offal separation, Stunner, Weasand, Shoulder puller, Trim after final puller, Brisket snips, Vac-san, Final retain rail

Wages:
$A22 per hour with a minimum of 9 hours overtime per week – a minimum of $A835 per week
The minimum wage per year will be $A35,000

Employment Hours:
A mutton slaughterperson works for a minimum of 40 hrs week and every alternate Saturday for a minimum of 5 hours.

English Level:
One person in every 6 must have an English Level of approximately IELTS Level 4

Ideal Age:
Between 35 and 40 years of age

Beef Slaughterperson
Tasks Include:
Slaughter Floor
1st & 2nd leg, Hide puller, Gullets, Splitting saw, Knocking, Shackling, Weasands, All sticking, Rodding, Clamping, Flanking, Bunging, Brisket saw, Grading Hoist, Hock, and horn removal, Palpate cars, Tail tag station, 1st & 2nd leg changeover, Head removal, headwash and drop tongue, Checking and boning heads, Offal Separation, Whizz knife, Retain rail

Wages:
$A21 to $A22 per hour – a minimum of $A835 per week
The minimum wage per year will be $A35,000

Employment Hours:
A beef slaughterperson works for a minimum of 40 hrs week and every alternate Saturday for a minimum of 5 hours.

English Level:
One person in every 6 must have an English Level of approximately IELTS Level 4

Ideal Age:
Between 35 and 40 years of age

Beef Boners
Boning Room
Beef slicing all categories, Band saw operator, CU, Grader, Pre-trim, Weigh and lid (Taping Room)

Wages:
For 15 to 30 beef per day, $A200 to $A230 per day
For beef boners the wage can be as much as between $A58,000 and $A100,000 depending on their expertise and if the can bone 25-35 bodies a day

Employment Hours:
The minimum wage per year will be $A35,000

English Level:
One person in every 6 must have an English Level of approximately IELTS Level 4

Ideal Age:
Between 35 and 40 years of age

Mutton and Lamb Boners
Boning Room
Carcase boning, Carcase band saw operation Slicer, Butcher/Piece Boner Pre-trim, Weigh and lid (Taping room)

Wages:
$A20 per hour
The minimum wage per year will be $A35,000

Employment Hours:
For beef boners the wage can be as much as between $A58,000 and $A100,000 depending on their expertise and if the can bone 25-35 bodies a day

English Level:
One person in every 6 must have an English Level of approximately IELTS Level 4
Ideal Age:
Between 35 and 40 years of age
Contact Daniel Engles at Australian Immigration and Employment for further details and application or www.tmra.com.au for contact details.

Skills Shortage? – The answer is guest workers!

Skills Shortage? – The answer is guest workers!

Australian Immigration and Employment

With the issue of skills shortages now widely discussed and regularly in the news, the Federal and State governments have both announced measures aimed at skilling up the workforce.

The Federal government has lifted the number of skilled migrant places and added welders and other blue collar trades to the skills in demand list. The state government has introduced a skills unit to facilitate a new class of visa that the federal government has provided for the states.

While some of these measures are useful and others are certainly well intentioned, the fundamental issue remains the same for the business community – how to get timely access to the skills it needs in order to meet current requirements. In this context, none of the measures announced are of much use.

The skills shortage has been an emerging issue for some time. Since early 2003 businesses including labour brokers have indicated that there was difficulty obtaining skilled staff and that the situation was only likely to worsen.

That certainly turned out to be the case.

But while the skills shortage is heightened by the current cyclical boost in the resources sector, there is a large element of structural shortages occurring not only in WA, but around the country in various industries including the mining sector.

It has also taken some time for the business groups to reflect the dire need of industry in this area. A former colleague of mine in the Chamber had previously written an article stating that major projects do not experience skills shortages, but the post-poning of a couple of recent mining projects suggests that may not be the case.

Not having sufficient numbers of suitably skilled persons is a problem that requires both a short-term and longer term solution.

In the short term, no amount of training or upskilling will provide an experienced and mature worker for any skilled trade. That is why companies need to look outside of Australia’s national borders in order to satisfy the immediate needs. There is no shortage of experienced and skilled workers from offshore that are seeking to work in Australia – even for relatively short periods.

Longer term the government needs to make institutional changes that will address the structural issues through vocational and tertiary education.

However, in the short-term at least, Australia needs guest workers across a whole range of industries.

In the oil and gas sector and in the health sector, the guest worker has been around for decades. It is widely recognised that there is a national and international shortage of registered nurses and in public and private hospitals around the country it is a veritable collage of nationalities with nurses from all parts of the world including the UK, Ireland, Singapore, South Africa.

The oil and gas sector is also familiar with the guest worker. On drilling platforms in the North West of the state and throughout the growing oil and gas sector in Perth and WA, there are large numbers of drillers, engineers and other skilled professionals that hail from the UK, the United States of America, Canada and other countries that have developed an expertise in offshore deep water drilling.

So why should it be any different for other skilled individuals including brick layers, roof tilers, plumbers, electricians, business managers, marketing specialists and many other skilled occupations.

The short answer is that isn’t. However, industry has not typically looked outside of Australia’s boundaries in order to supplement its skill requirements in this area.

Australia already has a functional work permit system that allows skilled guest workers from offshore to work in Australia for a period of up to 4 years, providing they are sponsored by an Australian employer. The technical term for this is the sub class 457 visa.

While there is always room to make this type of visa more flexible and responsive to employers needs, it is a pretty good product for employers to access. The pity is that outside of the oil and gas and the health sectors, employers generally know little about accessing the work permit arrangements or have heard that it is too difficult or dangerous to employ a person from offshore.

However, the government’s response to the skills shortage has missed the mark by canvassing the options for skilled permanent migration rather than making the arrangements for guest workers more flexible.

WA may need 2000 extra welders this month but these workers may be surplus to requirements in six months time. However, under skilled migration, once they have applied for a permanent visa, they relocate to Australia as a skilled welder and may end up driving a taxi because the work has evaporated.

Therein lays the problem. The current waiting period for a skilled visa is 12 months from the time a person makes an application. So if the government starts a campaign today and the first person makes an application next month, it is likely to be the middle of 2006 before that person will arrive in Australia tooled up and ready to work.

The entry of foreign workers needs to be flexible and responsive to the needs of employers. The shortages in the first half of the year may not be the same as those in the second half of the year depending on a range of factors. Some are cyclical and others and structural and government is not good at identifying the difference between the two.

Employers need to look offshore to meet skill shortages and this process should be promoted and facilitated by government. When the demand wanes for particular skills, a number those guest workers in Australia will need to return to their home countries or move on to the next job in another country - hopefully with a few more dollars in their pocket and the experience of working in Australia. Some may be more fortunate and find a pathway to permanent migration in Australia. What we don’t need is a large number of foreign trained welders as Australian taxi drivers.

Dan Engles

Dan is the Managing Director of Australian Immigration an Employment. He was previously the Senior Economist and Manager of Business Visa Services with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WA). He is a member of the Migration Institute of Australia.