- Program attracting more construction workers to
WA extended
- Construction Visa Subsidy Program will continue
for a further 12 months to help industry meet ongoing demand for workers
- Cook Government committed to boosting
construction workforce and getting homes built sooner
The Cook Government has announced plans to
extend its Construction Visa Subsidy Program (CVSP) after 1,100 allocated
places for skilled migrants were snapped up by employers in 12 months.
The
program is designed to help building and construction businesses engage skilled
migrant workers, filling positions that are unable to be filled locally to help
speed up delivery of homes across WA.
The
CVSP will be extended for an additional 12 months to support the building and construction
industry to meet its ongoing demand for skilled workers and get homes built
sooner.
Under
the program, businesses can access payments of up to $10,000 to offset costs
such as migration agent fees, visa application fees and relocation expenses.
Since
the CVSP was announced as part of the 2023-24 State Budget, it has supported
Western Australian employers - most of which are small and medium businesses -
to navigate the complexities of Australia's visa system to engage skilled
migrants as part of their workforce.
In
addition to the subsidies, the State Government's Construction Migration Office
also provides each business that applies for the CVSP with end-to-end support
throughout the process.
Skilled
migrants have commenced work in a diverse range of in-demand building and
construction occupations, including air conditioning and refrigeration
mechanics, roof plumbing, carpentry, glazing, electrical services, bricklaying,
civil engineering, plastering, cabinet making and wall and floor tiling.
The majority of skilled migrants under the CVSP to date have
been from the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Ireland and Italy.
Comments attributed to Premier Roger Cook:
"WA's strong economy and enviable lifestyle are driving
significant demand for housing and my Government is doing everything we can to
boost our construction workforce, so we can get more homes built for Western
Australians.
"We're committed to continuing
to create quality local jobs for local people, but acknowledge
we need to attract skilled workers to grow our residential construction
workforce.
"It's great that our Construction Visa Subsidy Program has
received such strong support from industry and is already resulting in more
tradies on the ground.
"This program is not only helping small and medium
businesses get the workers they need - it's developing a pipeline of
construction workers to deliver more homes for now and the future."
Comments attributed to Training and
Workforce Development Minister Simone McGurk:
"The Construction Visa Subsidy Program is helping to get
more boots on the ground in WA.
"There has been a surge in demand from employers following
the establishment of the Construction Migration Office and the launch of our
marketing campaign.
"We've now hit our target, with all 1,100 places being
snapped up. Hundreds of those workers are now working on building sites, with
many more progressing through the immigration system.
"The feedback we're getting from employers who have taken
up this opportunity is overwhelmingly positive.
"Expanding this program for the next 12 months will make
more places available, so more WA employers can access up to $10,000 to offset
costs such as visa application fees and relocation expenses."
