Matching skilled migrants with business labour shortages

Kirsti McQueen has recently been appointed as regional migration coordinator for Victoria’s Goulburn Murray region. She says a total of eleven regions will conduct business skills audits, surveying local businessowners to identify skills shortages that could be filled with migrant workers.

Kirsti says they are also consulting with ethnic leaders and migration agencies to develop a migrant resource kit to help new arrivals settle in the regions.

In the longer term the program will form links between local businesses and key migration agencies and government departments to help business fill skills shortages and migrants acquire jobs.

In the short term Kirtsi says her role is to first look at the skills audit results and match skilled migrants with jobs. If any of the people meeting the skills requirements are here on different visas, then “obviously we’ll look at them and see what we can do.”

The program is also keen to support migrants and their families with their integration into the local community by establishing a migrant mentoring program, a newcomers group and a community welcoming committee.

FOR MORE INFO: Visit www.liveinvictoria.vic.gov.au