Out of a total of 84 workers, 29 will be travelling to seven fields in Darwin, Australia, while the other 55 will work in various farms around New Zealand, engaging mostly in fruit picking. They were selected by approved agents from the two countries, with support from the Labour Mobility Unit of the Solomon Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, which shows a significant increase this year.

The increase in numbers of Solomon Islands seasonal workers to Australia is due to improvements made to the recruitment process, understanding the market intelligence, including identifying specific needs of employers (customers), responding to their needs and building a cohesive relationship with our Australian Employers.

Prior to their departure, the workers received pre-departure training from the Labour Mobility officials and other stakeholders, including the AVI, the Ministry of health, the Police and Bank Officials. They were encouraged to perform well and to respect the laws and cultures of their host countries during their stay.

The pre-departure training is part of the LMUs work in educating seasonal local, workers on financial issues, and on how to behave when working in Australia and New Zealand.

The Solomon Islands is expected to send more than 300 workers to New Zealand before the year ends.

Source: pasifik.news