Brookvale business owner Warren Webster has had to tap a global skills pool to turn his company into the leading supplier in Australia, New Zealand and parts of Asia of electronic signage used for major sporting events. In a recent story in the Manly Daily, the local impact of nation-wide skills shortages was described in detail.
When Webster Signs introduced new technology to this country four years ago, Warren was unable to find suitably skilled local workers to operate the machines.
He resorted to importing skills after being forced to run three or four staff down for several years. Webster said those overseas workers were now helping to train local workers. “We now have apprentices on board and 35 other staff, all being trained based on the systems we bring in from Europe.” He said they were also sent overseas to get further training.
Another Brookvale employer, Ken Sparks, owner of Ken Sparks Carpets, is sponsoring a British floor-layer and paying him almost double the minimum rate.
“We have a major problem in our industry of finding qualified people, particularly in hard flooring,” he said. “They’re just not coming through.”
He said putting on apprentices wasn’t the answer because the training being provided at college lagged behind the more sophisticated systems his company was using.
He said the business was therefore doing its own training, which generally took between two and three years, but it had to have qualified people there in the first place to help pass on skills.
During the last election campaign, skills shortages emerged as a major issue. In July 2004, the ACTU released a background paper estimating that in the next five years 170,000 tradespeople would leave the workforce and only 40,000 would enter it. This left a shortfall of 130,000 skilled workers over the next five years. To keep their businesses operating, local employers have been forced to look to the skilled workers of other countries.
In the 10 months to April, 58,140 skilled workers were granted temporary long-stay business entry, also known as 457 visa entry. Local migration lawyer Justin Rickards, of Justin Rickard & Associates, a strong supporter of skilled migration, said a clear commitment to local training was one of the conditions for approving an employer’s application to become a sponsor.
Detailed information on eligibility for importing skilled workers on a 457 visa can be obtained from the Department of Immigration’s website. If you want to tell your local member how disappointed you are in the Howard government’s neglect of Australian industry, which has caused this distortion in Australia’s labour market, go to Tony Abbott’s website.
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