Reviewed the Visa system for Australia as it Struggles with worker shortage due to strict rules during the Covid pandemic
As Coronavirus hit the world, many countries closed their borders for immigrants and international students and they were told to go back.
Now the pandemic is over but the countries are facing worse situations than before. Many countries are facing an employee shortage after their borders were opened. Canada, Australia and New Zealand are all facing similar conditions.
So now these countries are taking various measures to improve the conditions. In this regard, Australia is reviewing its visa system to make up for the worker shortage in the country.
Australia is facing the second worst workforce shortage after Canada in the west region. Now companies are willing to pay signing bonuses and also agree to fly the employees from overseas if required.
Australia is currently reviewing its entire immigration system to increase its workforce. Many places like restaurants and bars are crying for staff. Solotel, a restaurant and bar beneath the Sydney Opera House, is an example.
They are in dire need of chefs, waiters, baristas and bartenders, according to Elliot Solomon, chief executive of Solotel.
Due to the shortage of staff, they are not able to open their fine dining restaurants on certain days, he said.
Mr Solomon also said that they had increased the wages by 25% in a year, and they are paying around £20 an hour to servers.
Also, a £500 sign-on bonus and half price for the food and drinks are included for the friends and family of the workers as a work incentive.
Many other restaurants are facing the same conditions. Some of them fly the migrant staff and also provide them with accommodations in the country.
Chole Ankers, a British backpacker, moved to Cairns from Manchester in March and is currently in Sydney. She said that there are many jobs with good pay around the coast and this is a big difference compared to home.
Most foreign workers prefer the beach area as compared to the regional and remote areas which makes the staff shortage in these areas worse.
According to the reports before covid, 80% of the seasonal workforce came from these backpackers.
Farming is also suffering from worker shortage as tonnes of oranges are rotting in farms as there are not enough workers to pick them up.
According to Frank Mercuri, he has lost 140,000 pounds of fruit due to worker shortage. This is devastating.
This is the lowest unemployment rate in the past 48 years in Australia. Businesses want to hire more people. Almost half a million workers are needed in almost every area. The list of workers is long, and the businesses are not able to find the workers, which is causing them heavy losses.
To improve the conditions, the Immigration department has decided to review the visa and immigration system so that more skilled workers can get into the country to fulfil these roles.
Australia has many challenges to overcome to improve the worker shortage conditions in the country.
