Yes, most definitely the demand for engineers has risen in the past one year. At one point, I have seen a decline of engineering applicants. This is not due to lack of demand, as I see, the decline was due to rather various changes that took place during the years in Australian migration procedures. Particularly, when the MODL (Migration Occupations in Demand List) points were taken off, it was mandatory for the engineers to score 7 in each band in the IELTS test or either seeks government nominations, which were in many ways discouraging factors. However, I see the demand for this profession is greater than ever, particularly in mining. Make no mistake, when one says in mining, of course it is not confined to mining engineers. All major engineering categories, such as electrical, electronics, civil, mechanical, chemical, industrial, processing, structural, geotechnical, transport, production, industrial, environmental and engineering technologists are some of the areas that Australian mining industry requires skills in.
 Engineering occupations for migration
All of the above expertise in engineering and more expertise such as aeronautical, agricultural, biomedical, naval, materials and engineering mangers are included in the list. The great news is all engineering occupations are included in schedule 1, which allows applicants to take the independent migration option or state/territory nominated options. Furthermore, majority of engineering occupations are now sponsored by most state and regions in Australia. To make things more positive, engineers will qualify for government sponsorships with the basic IELTS scores of 6 in each band. This is a very encouraging factor for engineers who did not meet the migration passmark due to English criteria.
States such as Western Australia, where mining is the biggest income, WA sponsors engineering applicants with IELTS 6 in each band. According to a report published by Kim McDonald in the West Australian on the 11 October 2011, WA is set for an influx of skilled migrants with four in five WA companies surveyed by audit firm KPMG indicating they planned to hire from abroad in the next 12 months. A study by KPMG said international recruitment was on the rise because skills shortages were growing in every State except Queensland, affecting 61 per cent of employers surveyed, compared with 51 per cent last year. KPMG partner in migration services Jason Berry said improving job opportunities in the east would make it harder for WA employers to poach staff as the resources boom gathered pace. The report showed WA companies were experiencing the steepest rise in skills shortages, with the number of employers indicating a shortfall jumping 18 per cent to two-thirds of all those surveyed. Immigration Department statistics show WA's intake of subclass 457 visa workers skyrocketed 85 per cent in July compared with the same month last year. WA employers sponsored 1230 migrant workers in July compared with 670 a year ago.
 Migration process for engineering professionals
Just like any other occupation, engineers must go through the skills assessment process. The Engineers Australia is the authority assessing the suitability of the skills level. The applicants are required to write a report by the name of Competency Demonstration Report (CDR), if the engineering qualifications are from Sri Lanka. This report is the key for IE Australia to a decision if an applicant is meeting the competency standards. Therefore, lot of thought must be put in when compiling this report. My most recent experience in the assessment process is there is rigorous analysis in particular to mechanical engineering profession. It seems to me there is more emphasis on the design component to the mechanical engineering aspect to be able to recognize as a professional engineer. Engineering is an occupation where careful attention is a must. The reason is, if you aim for a professional engineering occupation, and your result is an engineering technologist, your migration pathway must change dramatically. In addition to the report, applicants must submit a recent IELTS test score of not less than 6 in each band for all components.
Migration Seminar
The Australian Migration Centre is holding an information session on recent GSM changes on Sunday the 23rd. There are two sessions one at 10:00 AM and the repeat session at 3:30PM. You are welcome to attend the session with your family and friends. The session will provide you the opportunity to understand how one will qualify for migration under the GSM program and the Australian government requirements. For reservations call Shaun on 0772932239 or Ishani on 0772932237 or our general line 2818833. You will meet the Australian registered consultants to discuss your migration options at this seminar. |
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