Overseas tradies $10k sweetener extended for a year

A $10,000 sweetener to lure overseas tradies to WA is being extended for 12 months.

More than 1000 foreign tradies have signed to the initiative to bolster its under-manned construction workforce as the state’s property boom continues.

Training and Workforce Development Minister Simone McGurk said: “The Construction Visa Subsidy Program is helping to get more boots on the ground.

“There has been a surge in demand from employers following the establishment of the Construction Migration Office and the launch of our marketing campaign.

“We’ve now hit our target, with all 1,100 places being snapped up. Hundreds of those workers are now working on building sites, with many more progressing through the immigration system.

“The feedback we’re getting from employers who have taken up this opportunity is overwhelmingly positive.

“Expanding this program for the next 12 months will make more places available, so more WA employers can access up to $10,000 to offset costs such as visa application fees and relocation expenses.”

The move to expand the program for another year has been welcomed by the Housing Industry Association’s Executive Director Michael McGowan.

“The biggest thing holding WA back from building more homes is skilled labour,” he said.

“The CVSP has provided businesses large and small with the opportunity to increase their capacity to help build more homes.

“It’s still a complicated process for a business to navigate, but by lessening the cost and increasing the support services provided by the State Government has removed significant barriers for employers to get involved.”

Painters, cabinetmakers, carpenters, glaziers and tilers have started work in WA as part of the initiative. The majority have come from the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Ireland and Italy.