The luck of the Irish

Since the fall of the Celtic Tiger, Australia has had a large influx of Irish workers in the industry, particularly in the construction, property and engineering sectors.

These foreign workers have proven to be quite popular in the local market. Yes, they may be coming to Australia out of employment necessity but due to their skills and experience along with our current needs, Australian employers are eagerly snapping them up.

The construction industry in Ireland is stuck in a depression that sees only 20% output a year so it’s understandable that Irish workers are seeking work elsewhere.

On the cusp of a 25 year expansion, it’s estimated that Western Australia will need 150,000 extra workers by 2017. This need will be readily met by overseas skilled workers because their skills set is of such a high standard.

Given the fact that Australia has such a small population compared to its land mass, and the rapid growth of its cities and booming mining industry, there is a need to fill positions with people who have proven experience (which will inevitably come from overseas). This is a quicker way to fill the positions rather than waiting for graduates to get 5 years of experience under their belts before they can take the next step in their chosen profession.

This isn’t to say that Australian workers are being dealt the short end of the stick but, in the current situation, overseas workers have the qualifications and skills to fill demand automatically. Australia is breeding a generation of workers to match their international counterparts but the majority are either at university or obtaining experience so perhaps local employment will escalate in the next decade but for now, there is an automatic solution in overseas workers. Of course, on some occasions this will mean that Australian workers may lose out on jobs, but this again will only seek to drive up the level of expertise and the quality of candidates that Australia will produce in response to this influx of overseas workers.

However, it isn’t all rainbows and roses for our international friends. Visa issues and cultural transitions add a layer of difficulty but the largest added stress is the requirement (for some professions) that workers have a certain amount of local experience.

For example, the UK/Irish’s planning system differs greatly from the Australian system. For those in the planning and architect industry, there is a need to familiarize themselves with our system by gaining local experience whether through entry level jobs or work experience/intern initiatives.

Despite these hurdles, Irish workers are coming in steadily. With their reputation of being good workers and the ease with which they enter the Australian market and culture, the Irish are here to stay. Considering Irish productivity rates are among the highest in the OECD and in Europe for many years, fingers crossed the luck of the Irish continues to rub off on Australia.

RESEARCHED AND EDITED BY DANIELLA SERRET AND RAY AULD.

SOURCES:

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Australia-wants-Irelands-unemployed-125684948.html

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2011/07/06/skills-shortage-has-australia-tapping-u-k-irish-workers/

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Thousands-of-Irish-workers-wanted-in-Australia-says-Aussie-minister-130933433.html