Currently, Townsville has 3000 unfilled positions alone advertised on Seek. Other regional areas such as Cairns, have been successful in filling skills shortages through the DAMA application process. Based on the consultation with our members, it was made clear that one of the biggest challenges they face is workforce availability.
On Friday 1 April, The Hon Alex Hawke MP, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs announced Townsville Enterprise as the Designated Area Representative for a Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) for the Townsville North Queensland region to assist in addressing the severe skills shortages that have been stifling economic growth and business activity in the region.
A DAMA is a formal agreement between the Australian Government and a regional economic body such as Townsville Enterprise. It provides business owners who have exhausted local recruitment options access to overseas workers, providing a flexibility and responsiveness not available through the standard skilled migration programs.
DAMAs are tailored to a region’s unique economic and labour market conditions, and as with all skilled migration schemes they are only accessible if employers can demonstrate skills shortages and have given priority to Australian jobseekers first.