Key Points
- Migrants are moving to a town in regional Victoria to fill vital skills shortages
- Employers hope they will stay for good
Glenn Barber doesn't like to think what would have happened to his engineering business in regional western Victoria if he didn't make the decision to employ workers from overseas.
"They've played a tremendous role the past few years as labour has just been harder to obtain," he said.
His business is on the outskirts of Horsham, 300 kilometres west of Melbourne, in the agricultural heartland of the Wimmera district.
He has brought over three Filipino workers on temporary skilled work visas (457), as well as a worker from Fiji.
As the federal government considers , Mr Barber says there just aren't enough workers locally to fill demand.
"We just can't find the skilled tradesmen and young apprentices that we need. To do what we are doing here would have been very difficult if I hadn't actually made that move," he said.
"They've fit into the work environment and the local community really well."
'A better future for my family'
Roger Ponseca is one of the Filipino workers employed by Mr Barber. He moved to Horsham five years ago with his wife, Josie, and their three children.
Josie and Roger Ponseca and two of their children, Gene and Jasper. Moving to Horsham in regional Victoria has allowed them to buy a house and build a new life. Credit: SBS News: Sean Wales
Ms Ponseca has also found part-time and casual work with three local businesses.
"You have a higher salary here than in the Philippines and you have more benefits," she said.
"At first we didn't know anyone here, but we met some other Filipinos who showed us around Horsham."
The Filipino community in Horsham is growing. The latest census shows nearly 150 people born in the Philippines live in Horsham, rising a third from the previous count.
The Ponseca family have bought a house, and have no desire to live anywhere else.
"I'd like to bring my family and relatives to Horsham too once I have my citizenship," Ms Ponseca said.
"I told them, 'life is good here, if you work hard you can achieve your goals here.'"
Retaining migrants key to successful settlement
Population decline has long been an issue for regional towns, but Horsham's population grew in the latest census.
Settlement services in the Wimmera are hoping to see migrant workers and families stay in the regions for a long time.
The Wimmera Development Association's settlement services manager Sara Barron said providing a sense of purpose for the whole family is key to ensuring migrants don't look to move to bigger cities.
"The successful settlement is really about the settlement of a whole family, and having the right support in place is so important to give the extended family a role here and connections here," she said.
That's where local organisations like the Centre for Participation step in.
Cecile Vence says providing training and connections for newly arrived migrants helps to ensure they stay long-term. Credit: SBS News: Sean Wales
"The settlement journey of a migrant is not easy, " she said.
"You have to go out of your comfort zone to be a part of the community and work your way up."
The centre provides courses in English language, hospitality and business skills, hoping to establish connections that will ensure the migrants stay in Horsham long-term.
"Some migrants will look for other education and courses which are not available in Horsham, and when they leave their families go with them," she said.
"The centre is a place where they feel like they belong. It's where they build their confidence and go out in the community and be involved."
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