One axis. Three ways forward.
Skills Axis Australia exists because workforce problems do not arrive neatly labelled. An employer with an unfillable vacancy may need a recruiter, or a training partner, or a sponsorship pathway — and usually needs some combination, in a particular order. We are built to give that whole answer rather than the part of it we happen to sell.
Skills Axis Australia is a Brisbane-based workforce partner combining training and Recognition of Prior Learning, skilled recruitment, and employer sponsorship support in a single engagement. It is led by Mel Dsouza, with around two decades across Australia's education and workforce sector including Registered Training Organisation and international education leadership, workforce development, and employer sponsorship and Labour Agreement project experience.
The person you’ll actually deal with
Mel Dsouza
Founder & PrincipalAround two decades in Australia’s education and workforce sector — most of it spent at the point where training policy meets an employer who needs someone competent on site next month.
- Approximately 20 years’ experience across Australia’s education sector
- Registered Training Organisation and international education leadership roles
- Workforce development and skills-gap programme design
- Employer sponsorship and Labour Agreement project experience
- Established industry relationships across regional Queensland
- Sector depth in aged care, hospitality, construction and business services
Direct line 0423 097 246 · mel@skillsaxisaustralia.com.au
The gap we were built to close
Three suppliers, three sets of assumptions, and the spaces between them become the employer's problem.
A recruiter is briefed, cannot fill the role, and moves on. A training provider is engaged separately and does not know the qualification is needed for a nomination. A migration provider is engaged last and discovers the role was defined in a way that will not survive scrutiny.
One engagement, one diagnosis, and a sequence. Recruit locally first. Close qualification gaps through training or RPL. Use sponsorship only where a genuine gap remains — and prepare it properly from the first conversation rather than retrofitting evidence later.
Fewer suppliers to brief, fewer handover failures, and an honest answer when the thing you asked for is not the thing you need.
Five commitments
We tell you when the answer is no
A meaningful share of employers who ask about sponsorship should be solving the problem another way. We say so, early, in writing.
We never charge candidates
Recruitment fees are paid by employers. Individuals are not charged to be placed in a role.
Everything material goes in writing
Scope, fees, who is responsible for what, and what we are not doing. Before work starts, not after.
We are specific about who delivers what
Nationally recognised training and assessment is delivered by Registered Training Organisations. The responsible provider and its details are confirmed before enrolment.
Training →We plan for retention, not placement
A vacancy filled by someone who leaves in four months has not been filled. Onboarding and settlement support is included, not extra.
Workforce solutions →We keep the evidence trail
Because the recruitment record you keep today is what a sponsorship or agreement application rests on in eighteen months.
Where to find us
Level 3, 160 Edward Street, Brisbane QLD 4000, Australia
Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (AEST)
Brisbane and regional Queensland, and nationally where an employer engagement warrants it.
About Skills Axis Australia
What does Skills Axis Australia do?
We connect three services usually bought separately: industry-aligned training and Recognition of Prior Learning, skilled recruitment and workforce planning, and employer sponsorship and migration support.
Who leads the business?
Mel Dsouza, with around twenty years across Australia's education and workforce sector, including RTO and international education leadership, workforce development, and employer sponsorship and Labour Agreement project experience.
Where are you based?
Level 3, 160 Edward Street, Brisbane QLD 4000. Open Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM AEST, working across Brisbane and regional Queensland.
Do you charge candidates?
No. Recruitment fees are paid by employers and individuals are never charged to be placed in a role.
Do you ever tell clients not to proceed?
Regularly. A meaningful share of employers who ask about sponsorship should be solving the problem another way, and we say so early and in writing.
Start with a conversation
Tell us the problem in your own words. We will tell you which of the three services it actually is.