Skilled immigrants welcome to join Australia's building industry

An increase in building trade opportunities for immigrants means a better response to future demand for skilled workers as the residential building sector continues to recover, according to Richard Calver, acting CEO of Master Builders Australia.

Recently, the Government announced that these opportunities would be open to overseas workers, and the positive response from Master Builders comes as they look forward to avoiding any worker shortages as demand for skilled tradespeople continues to rise. It also gives them time to train more Australian apprentices as well as allowing unemployed 'tradies' the opportunities they deserve.

"People coming on skilled visas respond to longer term structural demand in the economy. They are also more likely to be mature tradespeople interested in establishing businesses that train and employ young Australians," Calver said.

Despite building unions highlighting the employment of foreign workers as a negative occurrence, they are actually a great contribution to the Australian economy, according to Calver.

"It is simply a union myth that skilled foreign tradespeople are taking Australian's jobs and that employers in the building industry have any incentive to employ them before unemployed locals," Richard Calver said.

There is expected to be plenty of work for both immigrants and Australians over the coming months.