Western Australia continues call for more immigrants

Western Australia is continuing its efforts to recruit workers from abroad in an effort to head off labour shortages.

The Australian state expects to create 240,000 new jobs as AUD $225 million in resources and infrastructure projects get underway; It is estimated that Western Australia will see a shortfall of 150,000 workers.

"This growth will present significant challenges for government, industry and the community as the demand for skilled labour to service the state's growing industries places pressure on many sectors of the economy," Training and Workforce Development Minister Peter Collier said.

To meet the demand for skilled labour, the state will be bringing in immigrants under the Western Australian Skilled Migration Strategy. This includes a wide range of initiatives to help meet the state's work force requirements with labour from abroad.

The minister was quick to add that their first priority was to train the local Australian workforce.

"However, we know this will not be enough and that targeted migration will be essential to boost our skilled labour needs," Collier said.

"We need to explore all options for not just increasing the participation of our local population, but also adding to the labour pool by attracting skilled workers from overseas and other parts of Australia," he added.
State-sponsored skilled migration is an important component in Australia's overall skilled migration efforts.

By meeting certain criteria, an applicant who wishes to live and work in Australia can gain permanent residence in Australia.