Australian companies send out jobs SOS to Galway workers

Australia and New Zealand have sent out a fresh ‘SOS’ for tradespeople from Galway who are looking for employment to consider travelling abroad.

Despite hundreds of unemployment people from the city and county already emigrating since the collapse of the country’s economy, employers are still looking for workers Down Under.

In recent weeks, employers in both Australia and New Zealand have launched a new drive to attract bricklayers, carpenters, motor and diesel mechanics, as well as hairdressers and chefs.

Edwina Shanahan, Migration Expert with Visafirst.com, said the construction industry on the east coast of Australia is showing signs of growth.

“September 2014 was the first time in quite a while that employers actually came to Ireland to reach out to us to find them carpenters to work in New South Wales. Just recently, I met with two employers specifically to find them bricklayers for their operations in Victoria. It is a clear sign of growth in the residential construction industry on the east coast of Australia.

“Employers are looking to sponsor Irish applicants to ensure they have a supply of good labour and are no longer looking to rely on a flow of working holidaymakers, as this flow appears to have dried up.

“Could this be the result of so many of these able-bodied Irish workers going to Canada this year instead of Australia? One thing is for sure the Irish are still in demand as a preferred worker,” said Ms Shanahan.

She believes that although the Irish economy has taken a turn for the better, it will take some time before the construction and hospitality industries return to the days of the Celtic Tiger.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.