The Federal Government scheme, set up in July to connect workers with employers, initially had a cap of 2,000 workers but Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced in November that the program would now be unrestricted.
Operated by the multinational business Palladium International, the scheme aims to fill worker shortages in rural and regional Australia in industries including aged care, tourism, hospitality, meat processing and agriculture with workers from Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
Under its rules, workers must commit to one year but can stay for a maximum of three.
As we covered here, the World Bank released a report last year labelling the Pacific Islands a potential workforce for Australia and New Zealand’s aged care sectors.
The figures suggest we still have a way to go.
