Heavy Demand of Indian Technicians in Australia
Source: Times of India
Job bonanza as Australia hires Indian technicians
Australia is calling, and two batches of nearly 450 technicians from the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Aundh, Maharashtra, have made their way there. These ITI pass outs know it would have been a struggle to find decent-paying jobs in India. So the shortage of technicians Down Under has come as a boon to them, and the entire batch of last year's 250 students and around 200 students who passed out this year have found jobs as plumbers, masons, carpenters, electricians and heavy and light-vehicle mechanics.
The minimum annual package is a good 40,000 Australian dollars (approximately Rs.17lakh), said J D Bhutange, director of vocational training. The ITI is run by the state government and has been training the students since last year for a certification that is recognised by the Australian government.
Bhutange said the Australian workforce is beset with an ageing problem. Most technicians have crossed the age of 50.The younger generation prefers white-collar jobs, leading to a shortage of skilled manpower. Our ITI technicians, though skilled, are often jobless in India, he pointed out.
An official who has been involved in placing the students in Australia said some industries, particularly mining, are booming there .Australia faces a shortage of tradesmen. Outsiders who are highly skilled are always welcome. People in India may find plumbing a lowly profession, but that is not the case in Australia. In fact, a professor in an Australian university may not be able to make the kind of money a tradesman would.
Vaibhav Ovhal from Rajgurunagar, one of the students who will be taking up a job as an electrician with an Australian firm, said he got to know of the ITI course through a friend in his village. The friend is already working in Australia as a carpenter. Electricians are paid really well there and treated with much respect too, from what I gather. I am still not sure about my exact pay package though. I will be flying to Australia in a couple of days, said Ovhal.
ITI principal R S Ghume said, there is a good demand for trained and certified technicians in Australia. The students have gone there under the migration scheme of the Australian government.
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