South Australia looking for power workers
Feb 25th 2005, 10:59 am
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South Australia looking for power workers
From BBC online:
Australian power firm seeks UK workers
The ability to fix one of these may prove to be a ticket to a new life
An Australian power firm has taken out an advert in the UK's Sun newspaper
looking for people to help fix and maintain their electricity grid.
ETSA Utilities, which is based in Keswick , South Australia, said that
deregulation and privatisation had led to a shortage of trained workers.
The utility is not the only Southern Hemisphere firm looking to British
shores.
Earlier this month New Zealand's Solid Energy offered work to unemployed
Northumberland miners.
As part of its recruitment drive, ETSA said it aimed to attend a migration
fair in London, and hold information sessions in Leeds, Dublin and Edinburgh.
It is also advertising in a number of other foreign countries.
Lack of training
"What has happened over the past few years in Australia is that due to various
pressures of government deregulation and privatisation there has been a
tendency of people not training powerline workers, or linesmen as we like to
call them over here," a company spokesman said.
As result, "there has been a shortage", he continued.
"Even though people have ramped up training of apprentices, its a four-year
apprenticeship and on the job components take another three to four years
before you get a really competent person."
The company said that any applicant should be willing to travel and work away
from home.
Key skills
Australia has long-relied on migrant workers to help fuel its quickly
expanding economy.
It has a carefully controlled immigration system, running quotas and ensuring
that it filters out the least qualified applicants.
As well as powerline workers, other professions that are in demand include
accountants and nurses.
Last year, more than 110,000 immigrants arrived in Australia, the highest
level for a decade.
The largest number came from the United Kingdom, followed by New Zealand,
China and India.
A company in Qld was also looking for the same people recently. Good luck to them, these guys are rarer than rocking horse pooh in the UK, so I don't know where they are going to find them. Also, HV cable jointers working for EDF Energy in London can earn £60k a year, can't see them getting that in Adelaide.
Australian power firm seeks UK workers
The ability to fix one of these may prove to be a ticket to a new life
An Australian power firm has taken out an advert in the UK's Sun newspaper
looking for people to help fix and maintain their electricity grid.
ETSA Utilities, which is based in Keswick , South Australia, said that
deregulation and privatisation had led to a shortage of trained workers.
The utility is not the only Southern Hemisphere firm looking to British
shores.
Earlier this month New Zealand's Solid Energy offered work to unemployed
Northumberland miners.
As part of its recruitment drive, ETSA said it aimed to attend a migration
fair in London, and hold information sessions in Leeds, Dublin and Edinburgh.
It is also advertising in a number of other foreign countries.
Lack of training
"What has happened over the past few years in Australia is that due to various
pressures of government deregulation and privatisation there has been a
tendency of people not training powerline workers, or linesmen as we like to
call them over here," a company spokesman said.
As result, "there has been a shortage", he continued.
"Even though people have ramped up training of apprentices, its a four-year
apprenticeship and on the job components take another three to four years
before you get a really competent person."
The company said that any applicant should be willing to travel and work away
from home.
Key skills
Australia has long-relied on migrant workers to help fuel its quickly
expanding economy.
It has a carefully controlled immigration system, running quotas and ensuring
that it filters out the least qualified applicants.
As well as powerline workers, other professions that are in demand include
accountants and nurses.
Last year, more than 110,000 immigrants arrived in Australia, the highest
level for a decade.
The largest number came from the United Kingdom, followed by New Zealand,
China and India.
A company in Qld was also looking for the same people recently. Good luck to them, these guys are rarer than rocking horse pooh in the UK, so I don't know where they are going to find them. Also, HV cable jointers working for EDF Energy in London can earn £60k a year, can't see them getting that in Adelaide.
