Australia needs 40,000 nurses, 250,000 mining workers -- POEA

Post date: Jan 24, 2012 11:13:50 AM

DAGUPAN CITY -- A deployment program of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to be launched in early 2012 would open opportunities for employment in Australia for Filipino nurses and skilled workers in the construction and mining sectors.

The deployment program was outlined by outgoing POEA Administrator Carlos Cao Jr. consistent with the recent report of Labor Attache Jalilo Dela Torre of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Canberra on the fast expanding work opportunities in Australia,

Cao said the current shortage of nurses in Australia is at 40,000 until 2015 while the shortage in the construction industry is projected upward to 750,000 construction positions over the next 20 years.

On top of that, 200 “mega” projects are currently lined up but with no available Australian workforce to complete them.

“This is now the opportune time to provide viable solutions to the growing number of jobless and under-employed Filipino nurses now already numbering close to 300,000, including the 68,000 who just recently passed the latest nursing board examinations,” said Cao.

In the same report, Cao noted that while “the Department of Immigration and Citizenship” (DIAC) of Australia lists the Philippines and China as the two countries with the highest number of migrant workers in Australia, still the country's yearly OFW deployment in Australia, with only 899 new hires in 2009 and less than 1,000 in 2010, is too small when compared to their very acute “skills shortage.

To read more, click InterAksyon's article on "Australia needs 40,000 nurses, 250,000 mining workers -- POEA".

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