15 April 2008

Increase in Australian visas could solve urban water industry's employee drought

A report looking into the shortage of workers in Australia's urban water industry has revealed that 8,600 new employees are needed by 2017. The research, conducted by Infohrm, also revealed that by 2017 nearly 30 per cent of the current workforce will be retired. A shortage of workers could be addressed by increasing the amount of people being recruited through Australian immigration.

Ross Young, executive director of Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA), which commissioned the research, said: "This study gives us, for the first time, an assessment of the extent of the skills shortage in the urban water utilities in the context of the workforce profile and the demands for skilled staff from other sections of the Australian economy." He added that the research provides the "base knowledge" from which the association can "build an effective response involving all sectors of the water industry". People looking to move to Australia can take a skilled points test to check their suitability.

Australia needs water industry workers: 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.