Research from HOST International, a refugee resettle charity, shows only one in five skilled migrants in Australia have their qualifications recognised.
Rajiv Ramanathan says as many industries continue to battle a skills shortage, programs like this - connecting workers with the industries that need them - have become invaluable.
“So there’s a huge amount of work happening across Victoria, across road, rail and bridge construction. We need more people and this is a untapped talent pool sitting in our own backyard.”
Describing the program as mutually beneficial, he says cadets get a salary, a graduate engineering certificate and, crucially, Australian work experience.
Around 70 engineering cadets have been admitted to similar programs in the past two years, with other states and industries in talks to replicate the program.
HOST International deputy CEO Mitra Khakbaz says the answer to Australia’s skills shortage is already in the country.
“Despite their skills, despite the willingness of the people wanting to work, despite the language competencies, it is really difficult for people to get into the job that they have already worked and have the experience and are able to fill the skill shortages we have.”
