Australian firms sponsor 1,400 Irish workers in three months

Ireland is now by far the largest source of skilled labour for Australia in per capita terms.

New figures show there has been a sharp increase in the number of emigrants winning sponsorship from Australian companies.

More than 1,400 Irish workers were sponsored by firms between July and September of this year alone.

A resources boom in Australia is generating demand for labour, particularly in engineering, mining and construction industries.

Editor of The Irish Echo and the Live-Work-Travel Australia magazine Billy Cantwell said: "Australia looks at Ireland a very good place to recruit. Irish education and training is very well thought of.

"Australia is thinking how beneficial it is that it can come to somewhere like Ireland and recruit skilled staff."