Deconstructing the interconnectedness of community: An exploratory study on skill shortages, labour migration, and mining booms in Western Australia

Abstract

In this exploratory study the experiences of employers, migrant workers, and stakeholders are captured in the context of the mining boom in the Mid West region, Western Australia. Framed in a community psychology paradigm, the findings identified four overarching themes which contribute to and perpetuate the skill shortage and xploitation of migrant workers. These findings illuminate the lack of awareness of the interconnectedness of the phenomenon, and the functioning of power embedded in these relationships.