AUSTRALIA RECORD NUMBER OF SKILLED CONSTRUCTION WORKERS FROM UK AND IRELAND ARRIVING BUT ON REACHING FIND NO JOB AS ONE IRISH 24 YEARS PLUMBER ARRIVED SIX MONTHS AGO AND STILL WITHOUT JOB AS BEING TOLD TO FIRST COMPLETE TWO YEARS EXPENSIVE TAFE MODULES AND IN 2013 TO MARCH 2014 IMMIGRATION GRANTED AVERAGE 1331 VISA UNDER 457 PER MONTH 22TH JUNE 2014 The federal government is cracking down on the 457 visa scheme for temporary overseas workers. A RECORD number of skilled construction workers have landed in Australia from the UK and Ireland dreaming of a prosperous new life. But for some, like plumber Conor Newell, that dream has been sucked down the plughole along with thousands of dollars. In 2013 to March 2014 the number of skilled visa entries averaged 1331 per month, the highest ever. While the country is crying out for plumbers – as they are named on the government’s Skilled Occupations List – a Department of Employment report for November 2013 shows there is no shortage of plumbers in Queensland. “I have found that out too late,” said Mr Newell, a 24-year-old Irish plumber who arrived in Queensland six months ago and has not been able to find work. “I came to Queensland because my sister lives here and it is a beautiful place. No one told me that there were no jobs in this state. I’ve just hit a big pile of obstacles and a never-ending drain on my money. I was so confident of doing well that I bought a one-way air ticket. Our reporter goes inside Villawood Detention Centre for a first hand report of life in the queue to get into Australia. “I was a fully fledged working domestic plumber in Ireland. I’m disappointed and will be warning people back home it’s not that easy.” There are 188 occupations on the SOL and from July 1 chefs, tilers and bricklayers will be added. “All in all I’d say it will cost about $15,000 to gain a full licence in Australia, coupled with the costs of flights and visas, I will eventually be out tens of thousands,” he said. “I have to complete expensive TAFE modules within two years. Even though I am fully qualified, you can’t do a thing over here without your provisional licence. I’m also hoping to get a regional sponsorship visa, which will be a few more thousand.” Plumbers are not the only jobs listed on SOL that have a “no shortage” status in Queensland. There is also no shortage of carpenters, enrolled nurses, ICT analysts, telecom engineers and secondary school teachers. HE came to Australia with just a suitcase full of chef uniforms, ready for a fresh start. Then a chef with 27 years’ experience, Andreas Imre moved from Germany to Australia in late 2010 on a working visa, heading out to a small kitchen in Dalby before moving onto a position in Redcliffe. “It was really pretty tough,” he said. “Work-wise, it’s a new experience that is very different.” Mr Imre said he was forced to fork out thousands of dollars for his visa application and later for his permanent residency visa, having to be extremely patient as he waited to hear back from the relevant government departments. But now with an executive chef role in a prominent Brisbane kitchen, he said the move was well worth it. “It depends where your head is at and what you’re looking for,” he said. “It was very difficult … but now I love the country, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.” Australian Culinary Federation vice-president Bruno Gentile said 50 to 60 per cent of businesses were struggling to find chefs and some international talent could help develop Australian cuisine for the better. “We need to bring chefs out that understand the language and understand the cuisine, which can be challenging,” Mr Gentile said.
Posted on: Thu, 26 Jun 2014 03:27:05 +0000
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