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THE Victorian government is actively seeking skilled migrants and is operating a scheme to put them in contact with local employers who have vacancies to match the migrants' skills.
After several years of steady growth the State is on an expansion trail to make sure that it continues to provide a good life for its residents.
But it needs skilled workers to achieve this, according to State Premier, Steve Bracks. He said that large-scale population growth was at the heart of his long-term vision for Victoria.
"It's good for the economy, good for the liveability of the state, to have strong multi-cultural diversity, and it offers great growth potential for our provincial centres," he said.
Mr Bracks said the biggest challenge the state faced at the present time was the need for a more highly skilled work-force and an impetus for stronger links between the capital (Melbourne) and provincial cities.
He also said that more could be done to commercialise discoveries in bio-technology. "That industry has enormous opportunities. We have great discoveries, great skills here, but we just don't commercialise it as well as we should and turn it into product," he said.
Under its migration programme, the Victorian government's Skilled Migration Unit helps in skills matching by passing the CV of skilled migrants on to employers throughout the state. The Unit also searches the skills database to nominate skilled people for settlement in Victoria who have skills in short supply in the state.
This could mean a potential employer offering a migrant a job before he arrives and assists with having the visa finalised.
There are visa categories available to employers who are unable to find skilled workers. These include the Employers Nomination Scheme (ENS) and, for employers in regional areas there is the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme, all of which assists skilled migrants.
To further help potential migrants, the Skilled Migration Unit can assist employers to find the right skilled migrants and, in some instances, can nominate a skilled migrant.
The Skills Matching Scheme is an initiative of the Australian Government and is designed to make it easier for skilled people to emigrate to Australia and find suitable employment.
To emigrate under this system, you have to pay the fee and meet the basic requirements for qualifications, work experience, English language ability and age. In some cases the Victorian Government can nominate people above 45 years of age.
* For further information click on www.migration.vic.gov.au