Around 80 people from 60 different Gold Coast businesses and organisations attended our free Visa opportunities to support the Gold Coast economy & workforce seminar, hosted in partnership with RDA Gold Coast and the Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce at the Southport Yacht Club on 18 May.
Attendees were drawn from a wide range of sectors including marine, aerospace, health, education, manufacturing, legal and government.
First speaker Martin Hall, President of the Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce, confirmed worker shortages are across all sectors, with a broad interest in recruiting from overseas by Gold Coast SMEs, and a strong appetite for more information.
Marny Bowman from the Department of Home Affairs’ Business, Industry and Regional Outreach (BIRO) program gave a very comprehensive rundown on visa types, processes and timeframes, and the role of BIRO in assisting local businesses obtain information and navigate the system.
Jennine Tax from Study Gold Coast followed with information on how businesses can go about recruiting international students studying or graduating on the Gold Coast - in general a very easy process as students already have visas. From 1 July international students are eligible to work 48 hours per fortnight, and international students graduating on the Gold Coast can access additional post-study work rights (up to seven years depending on their degree course and level of study).
Click here to download Marny Bowman's presentation or here to download Jennine's presentation,