The Member for Western Victoria Gayle Tierney today announced funding of $275,000 under the Global Skills for Provincial Victoria program which is designed to attract up to 100 skilled migrants to the electorate.
Ms Tierney said the Warrnambool City Council and the Shires of Colac, Corangamite, Moyne, Glenelg and Southern Grampians would work together in partnership with Westvic Workforce, Community Connections, employers, training providers and employment services to resolve skill shortages in the electorate.
“The partnership will promote the region and its skilled vacancies to migrants from overseas and provide information and support services to employers on skilled migration.
“It will work with the Victorian Government’s Skilled Migration Program and the Federal Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship to target overseas migrants. It will also encourage secondary migration from Melbourne and seek to persuade international students to consider working in Western Victoria.
“The partnership will help with job search training, provide information on qualification recognition and registration and link skilled migrants with relevant employers.
“Once potential migrants with the appropriate skills set are matched with relevant businesses and industries the partnership will seek to provide post employment support.”
Funding for Western Victoria is part of a $3.96 million skilled migration package announced recently by Minister for Skills and Workforce Participation, Jacinta Allan, under the Global Skills for Provincial Victoria program.
Ms Tierney said the program would build on the success of the Regional Migration Incentive Fund which successfully attracted more than 1600 skilled migrants and their families to regional Victoria since 2004.
“Global Skills for Provincial Victoria will help Victoria attract skilled migrants and their families – including doctors, scientists, accountants and teachers – to settle into new jobs in regional communities.
“This will boost regional populations and economic growth by filling skill shortages. Not only does this enrich local communities economically but it makes our regions more culturally diverse. By working together we can increase Victoria’s share of the nation’s intake of skilled and business migrants to 28.5 per cent by 2011 and sustain the growth of regional communities.
“Under the Brumby Government’s new skilled migration strategy, Victoria has seen an increase in the State’s share of Australia’s skilled migrants from 17.6 per cent in 1998-99, to 26.8 per cent today.”