Mr. Pita Foliaki Lokotui, the Vanuatu Liaison Officer for the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme based in Australia, shared experiences from the Pacific Australian Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme between Australia and the Pacific Island. He highlighted some of the strength and emerging good practices on the impact the scheme is having on migrant workers’ economic progress. The PALM scheme allows eligible Australian businesses to hire workers from Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste to fill labor shortages.
The PALM scheme was established in 2018 to address critical labor shortages in Australia's rural and regional areas, particularly within the horticulture and related food manufacturing sectors. Before the PALM scheme, these industries struggled to attract a consistent and reliable workforce, hindering productivity and growth.
The PALM scheme tackles labor shortages in rural and regional Australia, as well as across the nation's agriculture and related food manufacturing sectors. It achieves this by connecting employers with a reliable and productive workforce from Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste.
The scheme offers flexibility for businesses, allowing them to hire workers for short-term stints of up to 9 months or longer-term roles lasting between 1 and 4 years. These roles typically fall within the unskilled, low-skilled, and semi-skilled categories.
The PALM scheme primarily targets the horticulture sector due to the high demand for skilled workers in this area. Farms across Australia require reliable labor for planting, tending to crops, harvesting, and packing various fruits, vegetables, and other horticultural products.
Through a partnership with the Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC), PALM scheme workers can access fully subsidized micro-credential courses, allowing them to upskill and enhance their employability.
The program also places a strong emphasis on ethical recruitment practices. Employers are thoroughly vetted to protect the rights and well-being of workers. The overall goal is to improve worker skills, increase productivity for employers, and equip migrants with valuable skills that benefit both them and their communities upon return. As the scheme expands, and more benefits the Skills development partnership is currently being integrated by merging the Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC) programme.
Mr. Pita Foliaki Lokotui, the Vanuatu Liaison Officer for the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme based in Australia, shared experiences from the Pacific Australian Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme between Australia and the Pacific Island. He highlighted some of the strength and emerging good practices on the impact the scheme is having on migrant workers’ economic progress. The PALM scheme allows eligible Australian businesses to hire workers from Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste to fill labor shortages.
The PALM scheme was established in 2018 to address critical labor shortages in Australia's rural and regional areas, particularly within the horticulture and related food manufacturing sectors. Before the PALM scheme, these industries struggled to attract a consistent and reliable workforce, hindering productivity and growth.
The PALM scheme tackles labor shortages in rural and regional Australia, as well as across the nation's agriculture and related food manufacturing sectors. It achieves this by connecting employers with a reliable and productive workforce from Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste.
The scheme offers flexibility for businesses, allowing them to hire workers for short-term stints of up to 9 months or longer-term roles lasting between 1 and 4 years. These roles typically fall within the unskilled, low-skilled, and semi-skilled categories.
The PALM scheme primarily targets the horticulture sector due to the high demand for skilled workers in this area. Farms across Australia require reliable labor for planting, tending to crops, harvesting, and packing various fruits, vegetables, and other horticultural products.
Through a partnership with the Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC), PALM scheme workers can access fully subsidized micro-credential courses, allowing them to upskill and enhance their employability.
The program also places a strong emphasis on ethical recruitment practices. Employers are thoroughly vetted to protect the rights and well-being of workers. The overall goal is to improve worker skills, increase productivity for employers, and equip migrants with valuable skills that benefit both them and their communities upon return. As the scheme expands, and more benefits the Skills development partnership is currently being integrated by merging the Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC) programme.
