Make migration easier for overseas electricians, MEA urges

The lack of electricians entering Australia from overseas is severely stunting growth within the construction sector, Master Electricians Australia (MEA) claims.

MEA has urged the federal government to re-evaluate Australia’s migration process. MEA CEO Malcolm Richards said tightened 457 visa scheme regulations, coupled with complex skills assessment tests, have deterred overseas electricians from entering Australia for work.

“The [Irish] Technical Engineering and Electrical Union, along with ETU Australia, has undertaken significant mapping exercises to establish what skills gaps, if any, exist between overseas and local electricians,” Richards said.

“The result of this process has showed that despite being equally or even higher qualified than local electricians, overseas sparkies would still be required to undergo an additional practical skills assessment - Offshore Technical Skills Record (OTSR) - in order to gain access to either permanent migration or for licensing purposes to work in Australia.

“Many electricians have travelled to Australia unaware of the complexity of the licensing requirements. Those who have achieved a provisional licence have been sold by some electrical contractors that to attain the full rate of pay they must possess a Grade A Licence.”

According to Richards, the stringent migration protocol, combined with increasing apprenticeship drop-out rates, is leading to a drastic skills shortage. Richards predicted a lack of electricians in as little as three years time, which he says will stunt growth in the construction and other industries.

Richards suggested that OTSR-specified gap training programs could be delivered to electricians before they arrive in Australia, which would simplify the process. He urged the federal government to re-evaluate Australia’s current migration process in order to avert a shortage of skilled electricians.