The Western Australia Government has launched a Minister Mission to the UK and Ireland, aimed at tempting workers to move Down Under.
A surf and sunshine lifestyle, high wages and a low cost of living are among the selling points the delegation will use to try and recruit almost 31,000 workers.
“We are here to steal your workers”, says Minister Papalia
The Government of Western Australia has announced a delegation of industry representatives will travel to the UK and Ireland this month in an attempt to recruit thousands of workers to move Down Under.
Police and Defence Industry Minister Paul Papalia will lead a delegation of key industry figures aiming to steal British and Irish professionals to help fill almost 31,000 vacancies across multiple professions throughout the State.
Teachers, nurses, doctors and police officers are all being actively sought, along with a host of other skilled workers including mechanics, builders, plumbers, dentists, hospitality, and mining.
Central to their efforts will be selling the huge lifestyle advantages on offer in Western Australia compared to Britain and Ireland – higher wages, lower cost of living, an array of housing choices and around 3,200 hours of sunshine per year.
Average wages in the State are among the highest in Australia, with nurses able to earn 58% more there than in the UK. Some workers in the care industry could more than double their salary while blue collar trades can also see similar increases in their earning capacity (full table below).
Once the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement signed between the two countries comes into force this year, it will provide a simplified pathway for UK citizens to work in Australia, with mutual recognition of qualifications for skilled workers and much greater benefits for the working holiday maker visa.
The delegation will hold skills events and attend job fairs in four major cities – London, Edinburgh, Bristol and Dublin – in an attempt to spread their message across as much of the country as possible. There will also be separate skills sessions involving the WA Police Force as it looks to take UK officers over to Australia.
Their arrival on February 25 will come at the end of a month which has seen continued strikes across public sectors, high inflation, record energy costs and a gloomy economic forecast.
Western Australia is regarded as one of the safest places to invest in business in the world, with a booming economy across sectors such as mining, new energy, construction, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing.
That has resulted in a huge surplus of vacancies in the job market, with almost 31,000 unfilled in December last year, and unemployment standing at just 3.5%.
Minister Papalia said: “We are here to steal your workers by offering them a better life in one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Western Australia is a fantastic place to live and work.
“Our wages are higher and our cost of living is lower. Our health system is world class. You will be taken care of.
“Most of Perth’s population lives a short drive from the beach, where parking is free. There are no tolls on our roads. We don’t have anything close to what would be considered a traffic jam by UK standards.
“And if you don’t want to drive, public transport is also capped. The most you’ll ever pay for a one way ticket anywhere is £2.86. That’s all it will cost you to get a train from the airport to the city centre.
“And we have free buses in our entertainment precincts and business district.
“Perth is a beautiful, clean and vibrant city, with food, bars, pubs and restaurants to cater to all tastes.
“If you’re into sports, you’ll love Perth. Our stadium was voted the best in the world. The culinary scene is world class, the small bars plentiful, we have pubs and live music and theatre of all sorts.
“If you’re into the great outdoors, WA is the place to be. Our state represents roughly one third of the continent, much of it untouched, and all of it framed by the most beautiful beaches in the world.
“From the wine regions and forests of the southwest, to coral reefs in the north, and the vast untamed Kimberley region up the top, we have it all. And so can you.
“Many of our ancestors were sent from the UK to Australia as convicts. Now, it would be a crime not to make the move.”
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