FCEF calls on Govt to let regional students work as 16,000 locals wait for overseas jobs

As Fiji faces a skills shortage, suggestions are being made to allow regional students to work in Fiji and for the government to enable 16,000 job-ready locals registered with the National Employment Centre to work in Australia and New Zealand.

Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation CEO Edward Bernard says thousands of regional students come in to study at the University of the South Pacific and the Fiji National University for two to three years and have acclimatised to the Fiji context.

Bernard says in the long term, we need to make sure that the infrastructure of bringing workers into the country is developed.

While responding to a question by investment consultant Sandeep Narayan Singh on why the government is not considering spouses of more than 1,300 expatriates to get work visa and work in the country, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Professor Biman Prasad said they are looking at making reforms within the Immigration Department.

He says they are also looking at how they can increase the supply of skills that Fiji is now getting from overseas.