240,000 Jobs Are Expected To Be Created In Western Australia

11 Dec 2010

Australian State government has signed a formal agreement with the Commonwealth government to identify, target and sponsor skilled migrants in high demand occupations over the next four years.

As a part of the agreement, Western Australia will be allowed to sponsor 6,000 visa applications in 2010. In the next seven years, 240,000 jobs are expected to be created in Western Australia.

Training and Workforce Development Minister Peter Collier has released a series of medium and long term strategies to deal with predicted labour shortage of up o 150,000 by 2017. He said that targeted migration will be an important strategy in filling high value vacancies unable to be filled by the local workforce.

Mr Collier said that even with population growth and skilled migration there will still be a significant gap.

Mr.Collier added that the growth and opportunity is not limited to major resource and infrastructures. And added that wholesale trade, professional and technical services, finance, insurance and health sectors are also forecasted to grow by 4.5 percent a year over the next four years.   

Mr Collier said that "Skilling WA - A workforce development plan for Western Australia" includes five strategic goals.

The goals include increasing workforce participation, particularly among the under-employed, the disengaged and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

Another goal is to supplement the local workforce with skilled migrants.

The third goal is to attract and retain workers with the right skills.

The fourth goal is to provide flexible, responsive and innovative education and training and finally a co-ordinated state government response to workforce development issues.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that the Skilling WA plan is a good start.

The Chamber of Minerals and Energy has described the plan as a positive step.