“We’re here to steal your workers”, WA tells UK

The Government of Western Australia has announced a delegation of industry representatives will travel to the UK and Ireland this month in an attempt to recruit thousands of workers to move Down Under.

Police and Defence Industry Minister, Paul Papalia, will lead a delegation of key industry figures aiming to steal British and Irish professionals to help fill almost 31,000 vacancies across multiple professions throughout the state.

Employees from many sectors are being actively sought, including electricians.

Central to their efforts will be selling the huge lifestyle advantages on offer – citing higher wages, lower cost of living, an array of housing choices and around 3,200 hours of sunshine per year.

Once the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement signed between the two countries comes into force this year, it will provide a simplified pathway for UK citizens to work in Australia, with mutual recognition of qualifications for skilled workers and much greater benefits for the working holiday maker visa.

The delegation will hold skills events and attend job fairs in London, Edinburgh, Bristol and Dublin in an attempt to spread their message across as much of the country as possible.

The arrival of the delegation on February 25 will come at the end of a month which has seen continued strikes across public sectors, high inflation, record energy costs and a gloomy economic forecast.

The WA Government says that Western Australia is regarded as one of the safest places to invest in business in the world, with a booming economy across sectors such as mining, new energy, construction, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing. That has resulted in a huge surplus of vacancies in the job market, with almost 31,000 unfilled in December last year, and unemployment standing at just 3.5%.

Minister Papalia says, “We are here to steal your workers by offering them a better life in one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Western Australia is a fantastic place to live and work.

“Our wages are higher and our cost of living is lower. Our health system is world class. You will be taken care of.”

According to the WA Government, the salary of an electrician in Western Australia is 172% higher than an electrician working in the UK – $111,105 (£63,714) in WA, compared to $64,527 (£36,302) in the UK.