Oz has the it factor

A recent report in newspaper The Australian claims that there has been a 20 per cent increase in the number of IT job applications in Australia, despite the worldwide industry being hit by job losses thanks to recession...

While unemployment figures in the country have continued to rise, and Senator Chris Evans has capped skilled immigration visas at 133,500, there still seems to be a shortage of skilled IT workers.

According to the Australian Computer Society Chief Executive Kim Denham and Information Technology Contract and Recruitment Association's (ITCRA) Chief Executive Danika Bakalich it is imperative that the skilled migration programme is maintained to allow Australia's IT industry to grow and recruit more workers.

"We support the view that there is indeed a skills crisis in the ICT industry in Australia and believe that it does not make sense to put an end to a skilled migration program when there are occupational needs evident in the workplace," Ms Bakalich said.

The first two months of this year have seen a 20 per cent increase in the number of people applying for skills assessment in the technology department, to allow their foreign IT qualifications to be recognised in Australia.

Denham said IT professionals were in huge demand in "banking and commerce, the minerals processing and mining sectors, agriculture, primary, secondary and tertiary education, business, the environmental and energy sectors, manufacturing and media and entertainment".

A spokesperson from DIAC said they would be responding to requests from businesses to maintain a targeted skilled migration programme that focuses on bringing "medical and key IT professionals, engineers and construction trades."

Source: www.embraceaustralia.com