Fiji’s Employment Minister Agni Deo Singh announced that registrations for the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme and the New Zealand Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) work scheme will open tomorrow, with priority given to unemployed youths from rural areas. He emphasized that those who are already employed or working in the skilled sector should not apply, and that the ministry will verify employment status with the Fiji National Provident Fund before processing applications, focusing on those who are unemployed, particularly subsistence farmers from villages.
Last week, a ministry team visited Kadavu to conduct recruitment, selecting 20 candidates who have already begun pre-departure training on the island. The ministry plans to roll out similar pre-departure training across other provinces, along with reintegration training to help returnees rejoin their communities, manage savings, and lift living standards for themselves and their families.
This push comes amid ongoing government efforts to align PALM and RSE programs with the needs of rural, unskilled workers and to support community development. In recent years, Fiji has faced administrative challenges, including a backlog of applications that led to suspensions on new registrations for these schemes. Backlogs have been reported at around 35,000 pending applications, prompting a pause in new client registrations until the backlog can be cleared and processes streamlined. Past briefings indicated that registrations would resume as efficiently as possible once the backlog was addressed.
Policy discussions have also highlighted a broader approach to preparation and participation. There has been an emphasis on involving families and traditional communities (vanua) in the lead-up to overseas work opportunities, with registration forms updating to capture the number of children in a family to better understand responsibilities and potential impacts of temporary departures. Training periods have been extended in some updates, moving from four days to two weeks to ensure workers are better prepared.
If this momentum continues, the government aims to balance expanded employment opportunities abroad with strong reintegration support and community development at home.
What this means for Fiji
– Prioritizing unemployed rural youths could help channel job opportunities to communities that need them most.
– Enhanced pre-departure and reintegration training may improve long-term outcomes for workers and their families.
– Ongoing management of backlogs and more efficient registration processes could help restore confidence in the PALM and RSE programs.
Summary: The government is advancing a rural-focused, employment-first approach to PALM and RSE registrations, pairing prioritization for the unemployed with training and reintegration services while continuing efforts to address previous backlogs and improve the overall integrity of the schemes.
Positive note: If implemented well, this strategy could strengthen rural livelihoods, support community growth, and provide sustainable overseas work opportunities for Fiji’s young people while ensuring they return with savings and skills to benefit their communities.
Additional comments:
– The emphasis on verification of current employment status helps ensure that benefits reach those who need them most.
– Expanding pre-departure training and reintegration support reflects a long-term view of workers’ welfare and community impact.
– Ongoing transparency about backlogs and process improvements will be important for maintaining trust among prospective applicants.
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