For Solomon Islanders like Joseph Dolangania, the chance to work in the meat industry in Australia brings both excitement and uncertainty.

Much of the uncertainty lies around the lack of exposure in the industry here in the country, particularly on the challenges and what to expect when there.

With the assistance of the Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC), Dolangania is among Solomon Islands workers who have received training from experts from the meat industry in Honiara before being deployed to work in Australia to join the 6,721 locals already there.

And he said he’s excited at the opportunity to work in Australia under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme.

Despite having a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of South Pacific (USP), finding work has been a challenge for Dolangania and he has welcomed the opportunity to work in Australia under PALM.

Dolangania said the training is important as it helps prepare them on what to expect when working
in the meat sector in Australia, the use of tools such as knives and how to behave at work.

One of the trainers, Clive Richardson is part of the National Meat Industry Training Council and has been in the meat industry for nearly 40 years.

Richardson said they have been training young Solomon Islanders, both men and women who have been going to work in the meat processing industry all over Australia.

He said the training covers a number of things, among which is to get these workers used to the terminologies used in the Industry.

“The language used in Work Place, hygiene requirements, safety requirements and communication,” Richardson added.

In 2023, workers recruited under PALM sent home around SBD$247 million in remittances. This helps to keep the Solomons economy afloat and ensure daily family needs are met.

The positive impacts of the PALM scheme can be seen across Solomon Islands, where returned workers are using their savings to build new family homes, pay school fees and start businesses. 

Meanwhile, Labour Solutions Australia (LSA) operations manager Dave Comrie and National Health Executive Lee Cheesman visited Honiara this week to meet with stakeholders and build on their Health Business plan with Solomon Islands workers.

Comrie and Cheesman on Tuesday met with Age Care preparatory students to brief them on their plan for recruitment here in the Solomon Islands.

Labour Solutions Australia is one of Australia’s leading labour hire and recruitment provider. 

LSA has been recruiting Solomon Islands workers since the start of the PALM scheme to work in the Horticulture and Meat sector in Australia.

The organisation currently employs over 800 Solomon Islanders.

This latest visit is an initial step towards future recruitment of Solomon Islanders to work in the Age Care sector in Australia.

The students who met up with LSA have been trained by the Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC) under the Working in Aged Care Preparation Skill Set training program.

They are also part of the government’s labour mobility-linked work ready pool.