The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme is designed to provide employment opportunities while enhancing living standards for Fijians, without causing familial separations. Fijian Minister for Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations, Agni Deo Singh, highlighted the collaborative efforts from the Ministry in supporting workers and their families since 2022. The NEC Welfare Unit has played a key role in maintaining worker rights and welfare under PALM.
Singh emphasized that family unity is a cornerstone of this initiative. Workers are supported through pre-departure briefings, pastoral care, and Country Liaison Officers while in Australia and New Zealand. The recent Family Accompaniment pilot has been a notable success, allowing 87 families to join their working relatives overseas and minimizing stress from separation. Since the scheme’s inception in 2021, 9,052 Fijians have participated, with a minimal 1.4% reporting welfare concerns.
Minister Singh stressed the importance of discipline and integrity among workers, noting that their conduct could influence similar opportunities for future Fijian cohorts. His reminders reflect the broader mission of the PALM Scheme: not only to create economic opportunities but to support familial and community bonds.
The scheme has seen numerous successes, including similar initiatives where Fijian families are allowed to join workers in Australia. These efforts have been supported through various training programs that prepare families for integration into Australian society, offering them educational and economic opportunities, such as work rights for spouses and local rate access to education for children.
The PALM Scheme is touted for positively impacting long-term familial and community well-being. By allowing families to remain united and enabling skill acquisition among workers, the scheme contributes to enhanced livelihoods upon their return to Fiji. The program reflects collaborative commitments between Fiji and Australia to promote family unity, economic stability, and community resilience. It is an encouraging prospect that strengthens the ties between both nations while providing hopeful futures for many Fijian families.
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