Collier releases new skills strategy

The state government says its top priority is to provide training opportunities for West Australians, but admits targeted migration will be an essential part of its new strategy to address future skills shortages.

Training and Workforce Development Minister Peter Collier today announced the 'Western Australian Skilled Migration Strategy', a document that outlines the government's integrated and target approach to address skills shortages.

"We need to explore all options for not just increasing the participation of our local population, but also adding to the labour pool by attracting skilled workers from overseas and other parts of Australia," Mr Collier said.

"The needs of the labour force in WA are very different to the rest of Australia. We cannot fill these shortages from other jurisdictions, we must look overseas," Mr Collier said.

Mr Collier said WA's economy was on the cusp of another period of sustained growth, driven by an estimated $225 billion worth of resource and infrastructure projects that were either under construction, committed or under consideration.

"Almost 240,000 new jobs are expected to be created in WA by 2017. With natural population growth and current migration levels, it is forecast that this will still leave a shortfall of about 150,000 workers required in WA in the next six years," he said.

Mr Collier said that the response to the strategy from Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations Minister Chris Evans and Immigration and Citizenship Minister Chris Bowen was a positive one.
"There is a general acceptance and acknowledgement on the part of Canberra that the pulse of the nation in terms of future development rests with Western Australia, and to ensure that we tap into the resources of WA we need a skilled workforce," he said.

The strategy, which was developed in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce (CCI) and the Chamber of Minerals and Energy (CME), focuses on six themes;

- delivering a more consistent and integrated planning approach to skilled migration
- providing easily accessible, high-quality information on skilled migration
- developing attraction and retention strategies to ensure WA has the skilled workforce needed to support sustainable economic growth
- refining migration processes to support a more flexible and responsive migration program
- implementing a range of settlement services to support skilled migrants to integrate into the local workforce
- maintaining an ongoing dialogue with the Federal Government to positively influence policy direction and ensure the migration needs of WA are met.

CCI CEO James Pearson said that the strategy was a welcome step by the State government.

"It shows that the state government is engaging with the federal government to start to get what is really needed in WA, that is an increase in the numbers of skilled migrants both temporary and permanent coming into our state. There aren't enough Western Australians to fill all of the jobs that are going to be created over the next few years," Mr Pearson said.

CCI research shows that WA will need almost an extra half a million workers over the next decade.

CME Director Nicole Roocke welcomed the strategy, but said that it cannot be looked at in isolation.

"The measures are just one part of an overall solution that is required. There is a need to be able to link skilled migration with indigenous training opportunities, increasing the number of the women in the sector as well as training local people," she said.