Amazulu

Just bumped into an ex-colleague who is now quite senior at Calibre Projects, which is a Perth-based mining EPCM company. They are looking into opening a design office in the UK, probably in the Reading/Thames Valley area, as engineers and designers are cheap as chips over there compared to Australia, and plenty available (unlike Perth). Also easier and cheaper to close up and sack if/when exchange rate goes back the other way or work dries up.

Probably not a good idea overall, as major design outsourcing always ends in tears - no matter where it is done. Skill shortage is really hurting engineering in Perth though.

xzibit

Well I know of plenty of Engineers and Designers out of work in the UK, so will probably have no issues getting workers - although all the good ones are still employed, it's generally the average ones that are let go.

Amazulu

That's also true. Also, the mining knowledge is not there which is one of the main reasons that many mines worldwide are designed in Perth.

I don't think it's a good idea but Perth EPCMs are desperate for engineering people.

Brisneyland

Isn't this what the 457 visa is for? You have a skills shortage, so ship 'em in?

Amazulu

457 can be a lot of hassle, compliance and expense for some companies, maybe Calibre are thinking that they can hire and fire at will over in the UK (which they can)

chris955

Why do you think it is easier to hire and fire in the UK ? It seems easy enough to fire someone here or indeed close down a business.

Loch Lomond

Seems like an odd decision to open an office where the skill's base is not located, just to have the cheap labour and ability to fire at will. I would have thought bringing people in on 457's would be overall better for the company.

chris955

I would imagine they have decided there is in fact a good skills base and it has nothing to do with any perceived ability to hire and fire.

Amazulu

It may be easy here, I dunno. It's uber-easy in the UK.

Amazulu

I don't think it's a good idea. 457 can be a lot of hassle, compliance and expense though.

Amazulu

He said it's the whole thing - good skill base as low cost, flexible (read fire when want to) workforce.

I'm sure there's some tax breaks as well.

Grayling

chris955

Yes, if it's easy here it's easier there, if it's bad here it's worse there.

papilon

Sounds like a very good idea to me, They can recruit from all over the EU, so a very large pool of very qualified people to choose from. You often talk of the incredibly high salaries being offered in Perth, so this also makes sense to move to an area with a cheaper cost base. If they do it right they could do very well out of it.

papilon