The Australian Government is committed to attracting skilled migrants to the regions in Australia where skills shortages exist. Regional migrant initiatives recognise the special circumstances of rural, regional and low growth areas, and help employers to source skilled employees when they are unable to fill positions locally. To assist with this, the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) provides a range of migration programs and resources to help bring skilled migrants and regional employers together.
The Skill Matching Database
The Skill Matching Database helps employers locate skilled people who want to migrate to Australia. It contains the education and employment details of prospective skilled migrants and includes many people who are interested in living and working in regional Australia.
Regional businesses that find it difficult to locate employees with the necessary skills can use the Skills Matching Database as a first step towards employing someone under employer sponsored migration. The Skill Matching Database contains the details of around 7,000 people from almost 300 occupations who have applied to migrate to Australia. Individuals listed on the Skills Matching Database are qualified, have work experience and good English language skills, and are ready to work in regional areas.
The type of skills in demand varies between States and Territories, and from region to region. Recent examples of successful skilled migrants include a veterinarian in South Australia, a flying doctor in Queensland and an engineer in Western Australia.
More information on the Skills Matching Database is available at www.immi.gov.au/skills
You can employ a skilled migrant
You can nominate a skilled migrant through the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme or Labour Agreements or the Employer Nomination Scheme. The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme operates in most parts of Australia, except in the metropolitan areas of Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Melbourne and Perth. If the position is full time and for a minimum of two years, the procedure is very straightforward and probably easier than you think.
The Skill Matching Database provides information to help you find potential employees easily and includes detailed descriptions of current occupations, formal qualifications and training, and the educational institution where the qualifications were gained.
More details about sponsoring a skilled migrant under the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme can be found at www.immi.gov.au/migration/employers/rsms.htm
The Regional Outreach Officer network
The Regional Outreach Officers network is another valuable initiative that provides employers with a free skill matching resource. Regional Outreach Officers are based in DIMIA Business Centres in each State and Territory. They work closely with regional employers, State and Local Governments and industry groups to address skill shortages in regional areas, and can provide you with advice on how skilled migration can address your skilled labour shortages.
For more information on the Regional Outreach Officers network and contact points for business people see www.immi.gov.au/business/contact.htm
Skilled migration through the Skill Matching Database and the government’s regional migration initiatives benefits local communities economically, demographically, socially and culturally.
For more information please visit www.immi.gov.au/migration.
