It appears we have a global skills shortage. Skills shortages vary from country to country but common threads appear in that many countries have failed to educate their indigenous workforce in a manner that produces the skills demanded by the production sectors in the countries concerned.
Most developed countries have a huge unemployment problem or perhaps more accurately put an unemployable problem as they churn out people with either low skills, the wrong skills or no skills at all.
In Europe the the pursuit of a university education, in often obscure disciplines, with no economic benefit is coming home to roost as employers legitimately claim they have to basically carry out the rudimentary education that should have been achieved in normal schooling. It is quicker and easier to bring migrant workers from elsewhere in the European Union. If you need a welder or fabricator you need them now not in 5 years
The loss of vocational training is being felt as far a field as Australia where they are short of many trade skills and the list is endless and growing to the extent that projects are having to be deferred. If you have trade skills and fancy working in Australia the opportunities are there for those who fancy a move down under. We continue to be surprised . We’ve got used to requests for industrial electricians yesterday but even we were surprised by a weekend request for town planners.
it stretches much further and into the professions and if you take health care Australia is trying nick staff from the the UK, the UK is trying to recruit nurses from Ireland and the UK and Ireland are looking to Polish Workers to fill the gaps created. However the Germans and Swiss are now chasing their own skill shortages in healthcare and engineering and polish Workers are going there because the pay is better and this will cause wage inflation in countries with continuing shortages.
The problems in Japan will mean that demand for nuclear power will reduce and we have seen a sharp increase in demand for oil and gas professionals with the Norwegians bidding aggressively.
The Middle East, has for understandable reasons been quieter but the more stable areas are now regaining confidence with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar back in the market but offering below market rate packages that will need to be increased.
Japan will shortly be recruiting strongly in oil and gas to increase production of its off shore interests. On reconstruction we believe they may well outsource to American and Australian organisations but where is the talent going to come from?
If you are willing to work internationally there are some fantastic opportunities available if you have the right experience and qualification.
We expect 2011 to be a busy year in international recruitment.
Author: Chris Slay
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