The AMWU has launched skillsregister.com.au to give skilled workers and young people seeking apprenticeships the opportunity to register for work before employers are allowed to bring in workers on 457 visas.
 


AMWU National Secretary, Dave Oliver, said the union believed the skills shortage was overstated, and successive federal governments had failed to deliver an adequate labour-market testing system, which meant employers were exploiting the system.
 


“Our union is regularly contacted by skilled workers seeking work and yet we also see employers claiming they can’t find skilled workers.
 


“In recent days we’ve had billionaire Gina Rinehart argue the resource sector desperately needs more skilled labour and foreign guest workers are the answer.



“On the other hand, we know of companies that keep their own registers and have thousands of people on them.
 


“We do not deny that skills shortages exist in some areas, but they are being exaggerated by employers seeking to use 457 visas to undermine local wages and conditions and avoid the cost of investing in apprenticeships.”
 


“With apprenticeship completion rates below 50%, the long term answer to our skills problems cannot be importing workers from other countries on a temporary basis.

"Employers can't complain about skills shortages while they are dropping their investment in training.


“Successive governments have failed to introduce proper labour-market testing and we are launching this register to provide employers who do apply for the visas to be given a local alternative.”

The AMWU maintains that the federal government needs to introduce proper market testing before companies are approved to use 457 visas.
 


Tradespeople, technicians or those seeking an apprenticeship should log onto www.skillsregister.com.au



Anyone in the trades and occupations listed can sign up.