AMES Skilled Professional Migrant Program has secured its first interstate student.

Accountant Jagadish Saripalli travels to Melbourne from Adelaide every Sunday night to attend SPMP classes at Flagstaff between Monday and Thursday. He then flies home every Thursday night to his family and his weekend job.

He works Friday to Sunday in casual accounting jobs as he studies for a CPA accreditation in tax accounting.

“I was looking for something along the lines of this course to give more of an insight into the job market here in Australia and there was nothing available in South Australia,” Jagadish said.

“What inspired me to sign up to the SPMP was the research publication that showed that after completing the course nearly 70% of people had successful work outcomes in their chosen areas,” he said.

“I’ve learned some skills during the course and it’s been a benefit to me in identifying my priorities and goals.

“The course has helped me understand what you need to do as job hunter in Australia. It’s helped me polish myself as a job seeker and I’ve learned about the expectations of Australian employers which are quite different from those in other countries.

“I would recommend the course to others from overseas who are seeking work in their profession here,” Jagadish said.

He said the course was also of general interest because of the insights it gives to the cultural and social life in Australia.

“It’s good to come out of your daily routine and get a different perspective on things: on the society you are living in,” Jagadish said.

Originally from Hyderabad, India, Jagadish has lived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for the past 15 years.

He came to Australia in February last year as a skilled migrant and settled in Adelaide but is now thinking about moving to Melbourne.

For more information on this story, contact Margaret Davis on: (03) 9926 4020