balkanghost

Immigration Cuts to Cause Skills Shortage.

Migration cuts may prompt skills crisis. Large cuts to migrant numbers could exacerbate a looming skills shortage and lead to wage blowouts as the resources sector gears up for another boom, industry analysts warn.

The housing construction industry has been complaining about a structural undersupply of labour and the lack of a dedicated migration program for the residential sector. But it also says migration targets may not be enough to maintain a working age population.

"There's no doubt there is a shortage of labour there," Housing Industry Association (HIA) chief economist Harley Dale told AAP.


Australian Workers Union Against Migration Limits.


AWU chief Paul Howes slams migration cap. UNION leader and Labor kingmaker Paul Howes has warned that capping migration will undermine Australia's economic prosperity.

He also said it would "wreak havoc" with the mining and construction industries.

In a damning indictment of the migration policies espoused by Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott during the election campaign, the Australian Workers Union chief said yesterday that concerns about congestion in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne should not be turned into a debate about immigration -- let alone a dog whistle on asylum-seekers.

Inadequate infrastructure in these eastern seaboard capitals reflected the failings of the federation, Mr Howes said.

lapin_windstar

I'm surprised to hear the Unions are not trying to restrict entry to the workforce. I'm not surprised to hear that employers want more competition.

coolshadows

the easy answer to any 'skills shortage' in the construction sector is to remove the many government incentives and bonuses paid out at the taxpayers expense.

chris and farideh

It's not just Building. I was reading in Mining Monthly that the big mining companies are starting to get worried again that there wont be the skills to meet the expected demand soon.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

They could try something novel and train more youngsters.

ABCDiamond

Something along the lines of Australian Apprenticeships ?

Not sure about these numbers of immigration cuts that are being thrown about, by both parties, it wouldn't surprise me to see no change in the actual numbers of skilled workers coming in.

fish.01

Isn't apprenticeship training being cut by the coalition or is that a partisan view?

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-electi...819-12s4w.html

ABCDiamond

Now we are into politics, which has to be read between the lines very carefully:

Labor say Coalition will cut them, but the Coalition say they will increase them.

The Coalition Policy:
However, election promises are election promises, just like the ALP one in 2007 where they promised 450,000 new training positions - mainly apprenticeships - across Australia, 200,000 more than are currently available.

But the actual figures are:
Apprenticeship Commencements in 12 months ending 30 June by state and territory, 1963–2009:
2003 288,014
2004 254,678
2005 260,842
2006 265,750
2007 271,486
2008 289,074
2009 271,249 Not 200,00 more than 2007, but 237 less.

No matter what politicians seem to say, we should be very wary about believing any of it.

fish.01

so it was a "partisan view" then...sneaky buggers....