There’s the awe-inspiring Uluru, the magnificence of Kakadu National Park and the beauty of Darwin Harbour.

But it’s the lifestyle that delights Sukran.

“I remember when I first arrived in Darwin,” she says. “I was cycling to work and it was so lovely that I found myself smiling. No traffic, no congestion. Just five minutes from my home to the office.”

Sukran was born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey’s most populous city, and the commute to work used to take her 90 minutes each way.

The graphic designer, who has a swag of in-demand skills, including web design, soon found that Darwin’s unbeatable lifestyle is complemented by tremendous professional opportunities.

She was delighted to get a job with a high-profile creative design firm.

” I remember turning up for the interview and the boss came to greet me in the reception barefoot. i thought ‘wow! this is a great, relaxed place to work.'”

Her experience of getting a good, well-paid job quickly is typical of skilled migrants – the Territory’s growing and diversifying economy is creating exciting opportunities for skilled workers.

Sukran studied English in Brisbane on arriving in Australia and then moved to Sydney, where she was so cold that she wore a teddy bear onesie indoors for six months.

That experience was enough for her to hit the road and drive to the Territory.

She soon found that she was “comfortable” – physically and emotionally – in Darwin.

“Territorians are very friendly. I’ve made some really good friends here; they are like family to me.”

As the years go by, she is feeling more and more Aussie.

“When I am back in Turkey people say to me, ‘You’re so relaxed, so chill’.”

And she is becoming more and more Territorian.

“I went on holiday to Adelaide recently and realised that I have become so Territorian. I found myself saying, ‘We don’t do it like that in the Territory’. It made me realise that the Territory is now my home.

“Coming to Australia was the best decision of my life.”

NT WELCOMES WORKERS

The Territory Government is investing $12.8 million to lure international workers to the Territory and support upskilling of local workers.

The measures include:

$3 million to deliver the Flexible Workforce Initiative Fund – this fund will enable industry to deliver projects and strategies to attract and retain workforces, and it will be managed by a Territory Workforce Advisory Group.

$1.5 million to refresh the NT’s Global Worker Attraction Program – which targets interstate and overseas markets for workers.

$1.35 million to boost the Territory’s skilled migration capacity – increasing skilled migration in the Territory and providing migration engagement support for Territory businesses.

$750,000 to relaunch Work, Stay Play – this highly popular program will resume next month with the additional incentive to support all industries experiencing extreme skill shortages, including construction and aged care.

$600,000 to launch the Worker Connect Platform – which will serve as a multi-purpose online platform to better support overseas skilled workers and connect them with private and public sector jobseekers across the Territory.

$2.6 million to deliver the Working Holiday Maker Campaign – this program will include a highly-targeted interstate and overseas marketing campaign to attract about 2000 new tourism and hospitality workers by April to ensure businesses can accommodate customers and deliver services.

$3 million for an international leisure tourism marketing campaign – this campaign will target specific markets and support airline partnerships, travel trade activity and a range of other marketing activities with Tourism Australia.

Initiatives are also underway by Study NT to attract international students to the Territory, including a destination awareness marketing campaign in key focus markets.