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Shortages drive bosses up pole

WESTERN Power, one of Western Australia's biggest employers, is planning to use skilled foreign workers to do key maintenance work.

The Government utility employs more than 2800 workers and joins a growing list of companies and businesses decrying the worsening shortage of skilled workers in Australia.

Chief executive officer Tony Iannello said it needed skilled workers to assist in the area of vegetation management and construction and maintenance, including an important ongoing pole-washing operation.

"I'm not sure what numbers of contractors we're recruiting from overseas," he said. "Some in the vegetation management area. We're looking at contracting that to people who are absolute specialists in that area."

The specialist work requires patrols to prune and clear tree branches and vegetation obstructing overhead power lines.

Mr Iannello said Western Power was entering a crucial period of increased competition and said the corporation urgently needed access to an additional skills pool.

He rejected criticism for seeking to recruit overseas, saying the skills shortage was jeopardising the company's ability to meet its commitments to West Australians.

"I think Western Power should be commended for looking forward, for seeing how it can actually deliver to its commitments," he said.

"I don't think we should be using (the skills shortage) as an excuse for not delivering to our commitments.

"Therefore, we'll continue to do the right thing, even though we'll get criticised for it."

Minister for Immigration, Senator Vanstone has announced a 20,000-place increase in the annual overseas migration programme and said the Government would relax the requirements for states and prospective employers in regional areas - including Adelaide and Perth

who are looking to bring in workers.

Bricklayers, electricians and plumbers have been added to the list of occupations considered most in demand - to be reviewed in six months, Senator Vanstone said.

West Australian Minister for State Development Alan Carpenter said that although skilled migration was useful to address immediate skills needs, it was not the medium to long-term solution to skills shortage.

He said the Federal Government's skilled migration programme needed to target genuine areas of need and that skilled migrants should be afforded proper Australian wages and conditions.