The National Employment Centre (NEC) under the Ministry of Employment, Productivity, and Workplace Relations is currently handling applications submitted in 2021. Permanent Secretary Maritino Nemani shared this update during the review of the 2022 Audit Report on the General Administration Sector last week, explaining that new registrations have been halted due to nearly 30,000 pending applications from 2020.
Nemani indicated that the NEC is currently reviewing and filtering previously registered applications, focusing specifically on those from 2021. He noted that the registration period has been extended until next year to accommodate this backlog.
Under the Pacific Labour Mobility scheme and Regional Seasonal Employment (RSE), he explained that employers hold the authority to select candidates for positions. This process applies to various sectors including caregiving, agriculture, meat processing, and hospitality, where the final decision is made by Australian employers during interviews. The NEC’s role is primarily to facilitate this process.
Regarding caregiving roles, Nemani mentioned that recognised caregiver training is conducted by the Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC), which credentials workers aspiring to work overseas. He reiterated that the selection of candidates for employment is determined by the employers in Australia.