Young Irish fleeing to Oz as job prospects plummet
Figures released by the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship show the number of young Irish applying to visit on working holiday visas increased 52% in the last six months.
There were 12,790 applications between July and December of 2008, compared to the 8,417 that were issued in the same six months in 2007.
The working holiday visa is available to 18- to 30-year-old Irish citizens, and allows them to work and travel in the country for one year, with the option to extend for a further 12 months if certain criteria are met.
Tourism Australia general manager for Britain and Europe Rodney Harrex said the downturn in the economy was leading to Irish people looking for opportunities down under.
“With the current economic situation in Ireland, many young school-leavers and graduates may be struggling to find work and are looking for other opportunities,” he said.
Hundreds of young people turned out for a seminar in a Waterford hotel this week, organised to highlight job opportunities in Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
The Migrate Abroad seminar at the city’s Tower Hotel attracted a full house, showing just how emigration is now an option for the hundreds of construction workers and other trades people who have found themselves out of work in the past year.
John Kelly, a long-serving representative with the construction sector union UCATT, says he can well understand the desire by so many young people to get away. “At the moment, hanging around this environment is a waste for many young people.
“If they can get away — providing they have their craft certificates — they should.
“A young male today, if he’s single, I feel should think strongly about emigrating because there’s nothing at the moment in this country for him.”
Edwina Shanahan, marketing manager with VisaFirst.com, said people with trades are in demand on the other side of the globe.
“In the past year particularly, people have been going to the other side of the work just for work, particularly Australia where there’s a demand for skilled labour — for tradesmen who’ve been let go here,” she said.
