A skilled migration expo will take place in central Athens in October, thanks to a proposal recommended to the Australian government by the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria (GOCMV). Skilled migrants who are offered employment as a result of the expo, may be able to have their application processed within a fortnight.
The pioneering expo will take place on 8 and 9 of October, and will allow skilled workers in Greece to meet with officials from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and other Australian government agencies, to discuss employment opportunities in Australia. The expo will involve face-to-face meetings with potential employers and recruitment agencies.
GOCMV President, Bill Papastergiadis, told Neos Kosmos that this is a “quick and effective means of assisting Greeks at this point in time”.
Last Tuesday, Papastergiadis received the phone call confirming the good news, made on behalf of Minister Chris Bowen, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, saying that one of the proposals GOCMV had created- to assist procedures for skilled migration for Greek citizens- would be acted upon by the government .
The proposal was created by a GOCMV sub-committee which included: Bill Papastergiadis, Mike Zafiropoulos, Costas Marcos, Penny Dimopoulos, Elizabeth Hagiefremidis, and Peter Jasonides. The proposal comprised of various recommendations on ways in which DIAC could further assist skilled migration from Greece and was presented at a meeting with Minister Bowen in Melbourne on June 15. At the meeting, the GOCMV proposed that DIAC arrange a skilled migration information session in either Athens or Thessaloniki.
Another proposal put forth and fully supported by the Consul General for Greece in Melbourne, Eleni Lianidou, was for Greece to sign an agreement with Australia and New Zealand for an arrangement for working VISAs. Lianidou told Neos Kosmos this week that it looks “positive” that Greece will be signing an agreement sooner, rather than later.
“It provides the opportunity for thousands of qualified people to meet with relevant governments and key employers, and to have someone there to answer their questions for them,” said Papastergiades, when asked about the benefits of the skilled migration expo.
At the October event, the government will be promoting employment in key areas of industry and where there are skills shortages, including engineering, health-care, automotive, construction, and the electrical and mechanical trades.
“This is a great win for the Greek community in Melbourne who set this up, and it’s a great win for Greeks in Greece to be given this fabulous opportunity to fast-track their applications,” said Papastergiades, adding, “what it does mean, is that if you lobby effectively with appropriate proposals, you can achieve things in a short period of time.”