AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION NEWS

The big 17 for immigration: Australia's most-wanted jobs

Monday, 3 March 2008

It's no secret that Australia's in high demand of skilled workers, and now, thanks to a list Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has just released, the world now knows in exactly which sectors the country needs them.

These 17 job types will serve as an excellent guide for overseas workers keen on immigration.

The following occupations have made Rudd's Top 17:

• Mining & construction: Carpenters, bricklayers, joiners, roof plumbers, and wall and floor tilers.
• Health/community services: Nursing assistants, carers, and child-care & special-care workers.
• Mechanical: Panel beaters, auto electricians, and vehicle painters & body makers.
• Service industries: Hairdressers, cooks, sales representatives, and travel/tourism agents.

These occupations will top the Australian government's priority list for its first batch of 20,000 new skilled training places, funded by Canberra, and the first of 450,000 the Government has promised to finance over the next four years as its key policy to tackle the skills shortage.

"By significantly increasing the skills base of the Australian workforce, the extra skills training places will ease a capacity constraint in the Australian economy, and put downward pressure on inflation," Mr Rudd explained.

The places would be targeted to the areas with the greatest vacancies, such as mining and construction. According to the latest statistics, the mining industry had 3.7 vacancies for every 100 people it employs.

If you are interested in working and living in Australia, find out which visa you qualify for by doing our free online visa eligibility assessment.