It is staggering how skills shortages are mounting in Australia and now stretch from agronomists to welders. The shortage of welders has been known for some time but the short fall in the agricultural area at above blue collar level is a new demand.
It seems that the whole agricultural sector is beset with problems and whilst Australian management has been enthusiastic in picking up the principles of lean manufacturing and the use of robotics in automating processes wherever possible, you can not eliminate the use of people entirely.
The upcoming Australian budget promises to tackle the work shy but just like in the UK many indigenous workers simply don’t want to work in food processing and Australia can not under current regulations whistle up a few ship loads of Polish workers because of the visa requirements.
Unless blue collar jobs are added to the list and targeted correctly the problem is not going to go away. Working in Australia is only open to those with certified trade skills and in demand professional qualifications and whilst some Australian politicians and businesses are calling for relaxation on immigration their pleas have fallen on deaf ears to date.
Author: Chris Slay
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