The National Employment Centre (NEC), part of the Ministry of Employment, Productivity, and Workplace Relations, is currently handling applications submitted in 2021. During a recent review of the 2022 Audit Report on the General Administration Sector, Permanent Secretary Maritino Nemani indicated that new registrations have been halted due to nearly 30,000 pending applications from 2020.
Nemani explained, “For those who registered earlier, we are in the process of reviewing and filtering their applications. At this moment, we are focusing on processing 2021 applications, and we have decided to extend the registration into next year.”
He noted that, under the Pacific Labour Mobility scheme and the Regional Seasonal Employment (RSE) initiative, employers have the authority to select their preferred candidates for positions. “Sectors such as caregiving, agriculture, meat processing, and hospitality share similar requirements, as it is up to the employer in Australia to choose whom they wish to hire,” he said.
Employers conduct interviews and make selections based on their needs, while the NEC is responsible for facilitating the process. Regarding caregiver roles, Nemani highlighted that recognized training is administered by the Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC), which accredits workers aspiring to work overseas. However, he emphasized that the final decision on whom to employ lies with the employers across the ocean.