Western Australia want UK workers

[grosgirl]

Article in the news this morning saying that delegates from Western Australia will be in the UK this month trying to tempt doctors, nurses, police officers and teachers to relocate to WA.

I’m a teacher in a secondary school (middle leadership: head of a core subject) and DH is an armed police officer. We’re tempted to look into this but before we do, I wanted to consult the wisdom of mumsnet.

Has anyone done this?
What’s Western Australia like: housing, cost of living, schooling, leisure opportunities etc?
Would there be scope to ‘claim’ other relatives later down the line?

Thanks!

It’s very expensive for groceries, clothes etc. Everything is imported in. Also small population means limited choices on things like clothes.

I don’t think the education system is that good, but the UK is hardly outstanding.

Lots of things to weigh up. Have you ever been to Australia?

All groceries are not imported but you need to adapt and shop seasonally.

I used to think clothes were shite in Au until I went back to the UK in 2022 - same. Shop online.

The education system is fine, just different - I've taught in UK and Au.

Definitely visit beforehand.

Look at www.pomsinoz.com You'll get way more info than you will on MN.

I think it's a joke that these western countries are going out of their way to tap up people from rich predominantly white countries, while genuine refugees who need help are stuck in offshore processing centres for year on end, and who would be quite happy to do the lower end / manual jobs that western people don't want to do but aren't let in to do so

I have family who emigrated to Perth years ago. At the time it was cheaper in Aus, but prices have definitely increased. All relative though I think - homes cost more, they get paid more.
They really enjoy it, children have grown up there and have all done well. If you're not I. Perth, there's not a lot in the rest of WA, it's very remote.

DH is from Perth, it’s great for families but can be very insular.

I was amazed at how expensive everything was recently, even compared to how things have increased here.

You’re 24 hours from family in the UK at any given time.

The beaches and outdoor living opportunities are incredible. Very kid-friendly and lots to do. Although flying abroad would be expensive, there are lots of campsites and local holiday destinations.

Right now we’re better off in the UK as we couldn’t get the same lifestyle for our money there, but we’d definitely consider it in the future.

Why are they trying to tempt UK staff to work in Aus? If there is a teaching staff shortage there too then what is the reason for that? Maybe conditions there aren’t that great either. Salaries in Aus are often higher than the UK equivalents but the cost of living is high.

I think the message they are trying to sell that you get paid more and things are cheaper is bullshit. We have family in Sydney and when they visit they bring an empty suitcase and stick up as things are so expensive over there. Even books-SIL brought a paperback over with her she had for her birthday and it had cost the equivalent of £25!

It’s not all as perfect as they make out. There’s a reason they have a shortage of staff…

Well said.

Stock up!

The whole of Australia has a skilled migrant shortage but most acutely felt in WA as the closed boarder policy of Mark McGowan removed the skilled migration that WA relies on....even more than Victorian lock downs as the tree changers are coming back to Melbourne slowly

WA is literally half of Australia. It is huge and diverse from Perth to real outback towns and settlements. Most of the state is RFDS

Perth is the most isolated international airport in the world....however it is less than 4hrs to Bali so you are more likely to fly to Bali for a holiday than Melbourne or Brisbane.
Minerals and mining is a huge industry in WA and the issues that come with that are real. The divide between Aboriginal Australians and white settlers is still massive with the health, education and welfare systems struggling with how to Close The Gap.

Australia doesn’t just want Europeans. They have an attractive points system for immigration and they have lots of educated immigrants from India and China. They also have a free movement agreement with NZ and take a lot of young kiwis. What they don’t want is, like you say, refugees.

It is a free world and what is wrong with Aus knowing what it wants and promotes for it. Doctors, nurses and teachers can choose the best employers for them.

I used to have a friend from Perth. She said it was fine but dull, and ‘too bloody far from anywhere’.

I'm sure if they're qualified professionals Australia will consider them? It's not easy to emigrate unless you have a skill for anyone to be honest. Surely it's a separate 'argument'?

I have some colleagues who have moved to Australia, they love it. Sure once pay and the cost of living there is weighed up you won't be much better off financially, and things certainly aren't perfect; but for many the quality of life is better. If you would enjoy living there and wouldn't mind the distance between family and friends and you then I'd consider it. Worst case you can always come back, it's not like the gov are going to sort out skill shortages here is it so you'll walk into a job.

I've been to Aus . If I was moving there to live, W is not my preferred area of Aus; I'd choose E or SE

My brother lived in Perth for a bit and found it very insular and quite isolated. It is also a hell of a long journey to get to any other major town in Australia. My uncle's family lived in Dampier, around 4 hours' journey from Perth, and had some horror stories to tell about the heat during the Australian summer.

Generally speaking the teacher shortage is due to lack of the backpacker fill-ins after COVID, current supply taken up with catch-up after COVID and shitloads of teachers retiring after COVID.

There are differences in curriculum between states/territories, but not much.
No GCSE-level exams. In VIC I went from supply to HOD in four months and led a department through massive curriculum change. If you have a brain and can do systems you can do it.

Ignore the shite about the heat: they have A/C, and heating in the winter.

It is expensive but the cost of living matches salaries so don't let that put you off. Much better standard of living in Australia and Western Australia is beautiful. However towns are more spaced out in Western Australia so a lot of travel time if wanted to visit other places. Also cheaper to home own than UK and you get a lot better for your money property wise

You say you're tempted so why not give it a go, treat it as an adventure. I emigrated 12 years ago to Perth. It's a wonderful place to raise a family. Good standard of education and healthcare. Yes it's expensive compared to uk but salaries are higher here.
Good advice above to check pomsinoz.com

Yeah. I worked up and down the east coast a few years back, and enjoyed it, but the west coast really is the arse end of nowhere. I like Margaret River and around for a holiday, but would never want to live there. But some people love it.

If you're going, OP, I'd try to go under an arrangement that lets you move state, in case you don't like WA. Even if you visit ahead of emigrating, it will be hard to assess how it will feel to live there.

I'm out of date on this stuff, but I was able to move states on my visa as long as it was to another job where they were short of Australian workers. You need to check out whether you can do the same.