11 December 2007

Financial services drive for Australian immigration

A major financial institution in Australia is conducting an international recruitment drive to staff its new financial planning business, inviting people to take up Australian immigration and reflecting the severe shortage of qualified employees across the country.

BankWest needs 100 new advisors for its new low-cost business and is also heavily recruiting for its retail banking expansion on the east coast of Australia.

Australia's compulsory superannuation system and the booming economy is fuelling demand for financial planning advice but the skills shortage in this sector is similar to that being experienced by the mining industry, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

BankWest head of retail sales Mark Reid said they will source most of the new planners from overseas and the HBOS-backed financial institution is going to fly in people from the United Kingdom.

He said that many financial planners wouldn't mind doing stint in Australia and they are offering a six-week training course for Australian market accreditation, which can be done in Australia or overseas.

Australia needs financial planners: Anyone applying for an Australian visa should begin by completing the Australian Visa Bureau's online Australian visa application to see if they meet the Australian visa requirements.