Solomon Islands Begins Preparations for PLMAM 2025
HONIARA, Solomon Islands – The preeminent regional forum for labour mobility, the Pacific Labour Mobility Annual Meeting (PLMAM) will be held in Honiara, Solomon Islands in November 2025. This week, the PACER Plus Implementation Unit (PPIU) is in Honiara to begin preparations for PLMAM 2025 in collaboration with the Government of the Solomon Islands. The Deputy Secretary for the Solomon Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Mr. Hickson George expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming meeting. (L-R) Director Christina Marau, Dr Alisi Kautoke Holani, Deputy Secretary Hickson George, Mr. Alistair Molioo, and Mr. Patrick Kaka. “Labour mobility is a development priority for the government of the Solomon Islands and we are very excited to welcome labour mobility stakeholders from across the region to our shores this November,” said Mr. George. “Solomon Islands was one of the late comers to labour mobility, having only joined the Pacific labour mobility schemes to Australia in 2019. However, in a very short time it has grown tremendously as a labour sending country and we are excited to be sharing some of the best practices that we have adopted and also to learn from our other neighbouring Pacific islands and partners.” The discussions this week will consider the dates and key issues to be deliberated during PLMAM 2025 and how the forum can improve in fostering regional labour mobility cooperation. Dr. Alisi Kautoke Holani, PPIU’s Labour Mobility Specialist, emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts. “Labour mobility has proven to be a transformative driver of socio-economic development in the region, but it is not without its challenges. The PLMAM serves as the leading regional platform to address these challenges and promote mutual benefits by sharing best practices, exploring innovative solutions and strengthening effective partnerships across all Pacific labour mobility stakeholders,” said Dr. Holani. The PPIU, in its role as the Labour Mobility Secretariat, is also the Secretariat to the PLMAM and will be supporting the government of Solomon Islands as it prepares to host the annual meeting in November. Details on PLMAM 2025 will be later released through the PACER Plus website. -ENDS- More articles like this one
Harvesting Hope: Rose Sosoe’s Journey from Honiara to Marlborough
Rose Sosoe had a simple dream: to provide a better life for her family. As a young mother in Honiara, Solomon Islands, she worked part-time at a local bakery, making ends meet but always hoping for more. With a five-year-old child depending on her, Rose yearned for an opportunity that would allow her to uplift her family’s standard of living. That opportunity came when her sister-in-law introduced her to the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme in New Zealand. This program, established in 2007, connects workers from Asia-Pacific countries with New Zealand’s horticulture and viticulture sectors, addressing labour shortages while offering workers a chance to earn a sustainable income. For Rose, it was a lifeline. “My sister-in-law spoke to me about the RSE scheme, and that got my interest. I knew this was what I wanted to do, so I applied,” Rose recalls in Pijin. Rose Sosoe (pictured) says that the income she earns allows her to send remittances back home, supporting her family and providing a better future for her child. Rose’s determination paid off when she secured a job working on vineyards in New Zealand’s largest wine-growing region, Marlborough. Her employer, Hortus, is a leader in ethical workforce solutions across several regions of New Zealand, focused on support both people and land. Despite her nerves about leaving home – she had never been outside Solomon Islands before – Rose was eager to seize the opportunity. In July 2022, she boarded a plane to New Zealand, ready to work hard for a brighter future. Two years later, Rose reflects on her journey with pride. “I joined Hortus in July 2022, and two years later, I’m grateful to still be part of the team and contributing to Hortus’ success. It’s been a wonderful journey, one that has allowed me to gain meaningful employment and learn new skills. I have also been able to support my now seven-year-old back home in Honiara,” Rose shared. Her experience working in New Zealand has been life changing. The income she earns allows her to send remittances back home, supporting her family and providing a better future for her child. But beyond the financial benefits, Rose has also gained a sense of empowerment and accomplishment. At Hortus, Rose is part of a diverse team, many of whom are also from Pacific nations. Mike Jay, General Manager of Hortus, speaks highly of Rose’s contribution and the value Pacific workers bring to the company. Rose is part of a diverse team at Hortus, a leader in ethical workforce solutions across several regions in New Zealand. “Rose is a valued part of our team, and her hard work embodies the commitment and resilience that Hortus prides itself on. Through the RSE scheme, we’ve been able to build lasting partnerships with skilled workers from Pacific nations, who bring dedication and an incredible work ethic. These relationships are vital – not just for meeting labour needs, but for creating a positive impact on both our business and the lives of the people involved. It’s a partnership that supports growth for everyone,” Jay said. Hortus is one of many New Zealand businesses that have embraced the RSE scheme, not just for the labour it provides but for the meaningful relationships it fosters between the workers and the company. For Rose and her colleagues, it’s more than just a job – it’s a stepping stone toward a better life. “Every day I wake up thankful for this opportunity,” Rose says with a smile. “I’ve learned so much, and I’ve seen how my hard work can make a difference for my family.” -ENDS- More articles like this one
Collectively building the resilience of Pacific labour mobility
The Pacific labour mobility landscape has evolved considerably since the inception of the New Zealand Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme and the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Programme (originally the Seasonal Worker Programme and Pacific Labour Scheme). The onset of COVID-19, economic recessions, natural disasters and changing government policies have contributed to this evolution, warranting a relook at Pacific labour mobility settings to ensure resilience and sustainability. The 2024 Pacific Labour Mobility Annual Meeting (PLMAM) seeks to launch this discussion under the theme of “Collectively Building Resilience”. The PACER Plus Implementation Unit (PPIU) sat down with one of the leading experts on Pacific labour mobility, Emeritus Professor Richard Bedford, to get his insights on this theme and what we can envisage from the discussions at PLMAM. Emeritus Professor Richard Bedford. At the core of any considerations on the sustainability and resilience of Pacific labour mobility are the Pacific workers who supply labour and the New Zealand and Australian employers who demand their labour. Workers’ families and households should also not be discounted as they play a critical role in shaping the behavior and decision making of Pacific workers even when they are away from home. In this regard, the continued success of Pacific labour mobility really stems from ensuring that the costs to the workers and employers do not outweigh the benefits. Professor Bedford pointed out that the issue of costs versus benefits was the subject of a lot of discussion at the recent annual RSE Conference in New Zealand. “Several changes to a number of provisions relating to minimum payments to workers were announced at the Conference and while these have provided some welcome relief to employers they attracted sharp criticism from representatives of Pacific Governments who were in attendance,” noted Professor Bedford. The details of the changes can be found here and here, but one of the key concerns the Pacific representatives had was the absence of any consultation with them about the proposed changes in advance of their announcement and very rapid implementation, which was four days after the conference. Sudden changes in policy either in the labour sending or the labour receiving countries can create major challenges to key stakeholders in temporary migration schemes like the RSE and PALM. Consultation is clearly at the heart of PLMAM’s theme of “Collectively Building Resilience”. Sudden changes in policy either in the labour sending or the labour receiving countries can create major challenges to key stakeholders in temporary migration schemes like the RSE and PALM. As Vanuatu’s High Commissioner to New Zealand, His Excellency Mr. Jimmy Nipo, stressed in a thought-provoking keynote address entitled Sustainable bilateral relations: Vanuatu and the balancing act, “To ensure that our bilateral relations are sustained, the mutual benefits must be balanced out. The act of balance must be mutual. Open conversations must be done regularly.” PLMAM provides very valuable opportunities for “open conversations” about how we deal with ensuring balance in the distribution of costs and benefits from temporary labour migration policies. The impacts of climate change on economies and societies in the region must also be part of these conversations, not only because changing weather conditions are affecting workers’ hours of work and earnings, but also to determine how labour mobility can be used to build the resilience of their communities at home. Stakeholders at the PLMAM 2023 in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Professor Bedford emphasised that the importance of PLMAM lies in its ability to “provide a forum where a wide range of labour mobility stakeholders feel that they can share their views.” “There is real potential for a good relationship between countries in terms of temporary schemes that can enable people to earn money to help support their communities. The question is how do we maximise opportunities in these schemes to support that aspect of resilience in Pacific countries?” said Professor Bedford. Addressing these issues and building the resilience of Pacific labour mobility requires changes to policy settings in both labour receiving and labour sending countries. PLMAM provides a valuable platform for discussions to inform policy formulation in both labour sending and labour receiving countries particularly as it brings together workers, employers, governments of labour sending and labour receiving countries, unions, academics, private sector, civil society, and regional organisations. Professor Bedford emphasised that the importance of PLMAM lies in its ability to “provide a forum where a wide range of labour mobility stakeholders feel that they can share their views.” PLMAM also provides a platform for these views to be translated to action through an Outcomes Document which provides agreed actions to be implemented by various Pacific labour mobility stakeholders including the PACER Plus Implementation Unit. PLMAM provides very valuable opportunities for “open conversations” about how we deal with ensuring balance in the distribution of costs and benefits from temporary labour migration policies. The impacts of climate change on economies and societies in the region must also be part of these conversations, not only because changing weather conditions are affecting workers’ hours of work and earnings, but also to determine how labour mobility can be used to build the resilience of their communities at home. More articles like this one
Signing of the First Managed Intra-Pacific Labour Mobility Programme
Tamakautoga, Niue – The Inter-Agency Understanding (IAU) which governs the Niue-Solomon Islands Labour Mobility Pilot is being signed today in Tamakautoga, Niue by the governments of Niue and Solomon Islands. The Pilot is the first managed intra-Pacific labour mobility programme for the Pacific and is facilitated through the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus Labour Mobility Secretariat under the framework of the PACER Plus Arrangement on Labour Mobility (ALM). The movement of Pacific workers to find employment in other Pacific countries is not new. For centuries, this has been the practice and in recent history was largely subject to individuals responding to job opportunities advertised or inter-departmental arrangement for Pacific individuals. While such movement has its benefits, there is consensus that managed labour mobility programmes administered through bilateral labour migration agreements can deliver triple wins for the workers, their countries of origin, and the countries of destination that receive them. The Inter-Agency Understanding (IAU) which governs the Niue-Solomon Islands Labour Mobility Pilot is being signed today in Tamakautoga, Niue by the governments of Niue and Solomon Islands. These mutual benefits have prompted the proliferation of labour mobility schemes such as the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) and the New Zealand Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) schemes. However, there has been limited effort to progress bilateral intra-pacific labour mobility programmes until the Niue-Solomon Islands Labour Mobility Pilot signed today in Tamakautoga, Niue. Niue was formally recognised as a labour receiving country during the 2022 Pacific Labour Mobility Annual Meeting (PLMAM), where they registered their interest to receive labour from other Pacific countries to meet acute labour shortages in the country. A scoping study by the PACER Plus Implementation Unit in early 2023 identified the health sector as priority and recommended a short-term pilot programme to trial intra-Pacific labour mobility and to later inform the design of a more sustainable longer term labour mobility scheme for the country. In November 2023, the Niuean government endorsed the proposal for a pilot programme for the health sector and the PACER Plus Implementation Unit then worked with the governments of Niue and Solomon Islands to develop an Inter-Agency Understanding (IAU) that would deliver mutual benefits to both governments particularly the Solomon Island workers and the Niue Health Sector which will employ them. The Pilot covers four Solomon Island nurses who will work in the Niue health sector for six months commencing from August 2024. The Permanent Secretary for the Solomon Island Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade (MFAET), Mr. Colin Beck said: “Solomon Islands economic growth is not keeping up with its fast-growing population; more than 20,000 youths annually look for jobs. The narrow economic base of the country is unable to generate sufficient employment for all. There is also a large number of nurses graduating out of Solomon Islands national institutions each year. The retirement age in Solomon Islands is 55 years, thus we have experienced retired nurses available for job opportunities in overseas market. The Niue-Solomon Islands Labour Mobility Pilot puts a human face to the two nation’s relations and presents a new beginning in strengthening of people-centered relations that can grow and diversify to other sectors. Solomon Islands has a deep work ready pool we can draw on.” Secretary of the Government of Niue, Ms Peleni Talagi, (left) shakes hands with the Permanent Secretary of Solomon Islands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Mr. Collin Beck, during the signing of the Inter-Agency Understanding in Tamakautoga, Niue. As requested by the Niuean government, the Pilot will target retired Solomon Island nurses below the Niuean retirement age of 60 due to their vast experience. The nurses will predominantly work in the Niuean aged care unit but will also serve as general nurses in the main hospital in Alofi. For Niue, acute labour shortages exists as a critical development constraint across all sectors. Honourable Crossley Tatui, Minister for Infrastructure and Finance in Niue said: “The Niuean population experienced a dramatic decline in the 1970s and has remained relatively stagnant at around 1600 in the past 20 years. The working aged population has seen a consistent decrease over the last decades while the retired aged group has consistently increased, with about 20 percent of the population above retirement age. Labour shortage is therefore a very real problem for Niue and labour mobility provides the only viable solution to addressing this development constraint.” The Minister further highlighted that labour shortage exists throughout key economic sectors and there is great interest to expand the intra-pacific labour mobility programme to other sectors based on the learnings from this initial pilot in the health sector. The PACER Plus Implementation Unit (PPIU) recognises the importance of intra-Pacific labour mobility to delivering mutual wins for PACER Plus Parties by creating employment for labour sending countries with surplus labour supply whilst alleviating labour shortages that constrain sustainable development in Pacific labour receiving countries like Niue. The PPIU extends its gratitude to the Niue National Labour Mobility Steering Committee and the Solomon Islands Labour Mobility Unit for the collaborative efforts to make this Arrangement the first of its kind in the Pacific. It is committed to working closely with the goverments of Niue and Solomon Islands to monitor the Pilot and to ensure that mutual benefits for both countries are sustained. -ENDS- More articles like this one
Regional Workshop on Skills Development Underway in Samoa
APIA, Samoa – The Regional Workshop on Skills Development commenced yesterday (8 July) in Apia, Samoa. This workshop is part of an ongoing commitment to ensure that the PACER Plus Agreement and Arrangement on Labour Mobility are responsive to the development needs of Parties, specifically in the area of skills development. The PACER Plus Arrangement on Labour Mobility (ALM), a regional framework signed in 2017 by Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu, aims to strengthen labour mobility cooperation. The framework operates alongside the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus agreement. The 2022 Pacific Labour Mobility Annual Meeting (PLMAM) directed an independent evaluation of the ALM, which was then completed in December 2023. The Review highlighted the critical importance of skills development for sustainable economic development in the region and the need to strengthen the ALM to support skills development and the generation of net skills gains for Pacific labour sending countries. The Regional Workshop on Skills Development had over 40 participants including qualifications officials, trade and labour mobility officials as well as private sector representatives from the 10 PACER Plus countries. The Regional Workshop on Skills Development, taking place from 8-12 July 2024, is an initial forum that aims to inform the design of the new ALM and the broader PACER Plus work programme. It brings together over 40 participants including qualifications officials, trade and labour mobility officials as well as private sector representatives from the 10 PACER Plus countries, including Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. Representatives from the Pacific Community’s Educational Quality and Assessment Programme (SPC-EQAP), International Labour Organisation (ILO), and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Dr. Opeti Pulotu, CEO of Tonga National Qualifications Authority Board speaks at the Regional Workshop on Skills Development. Dr. Opeti Pulotu, CEO of Tonga National Qualifications Authority Board, emphasised the importance of aligning qualifications frameworks to meet both domestic and international skill needs: “By harmonising our qualifications frameworks with both national and international skill demands, we can ensure that our workforce is exceptionally equipped for local opportunities while remaining highly competitive on the global stage.” Ms. Lita Lui, CEO of the Samoa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, highlighted the importance of private sector engagement in the design and implementation of skills training: “Engaging the private sector in the design and implementation of the National Workforce Plan is vital to ensure that industry demand is met. When businesses are involved in shaping this Plan and its training programs, we can create a workforce that is ready to meet the current and future needs of the market.” Ms. Lita Lui, CEO of the Samoa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, highlighted the importance of private sector engagement in the design and implementation of skills training at the Regional Workshop of Skills Development. Over the course of the five-day workshop, participants will engage in interactive sessions, group work, and discussions. Key topics that will be covered include the alignment of skills training systems to skills needs, both domestic and labour mobility demands, qualifications recognition, the role of labour mobility in skills development, and finding solutions for issues such as brain drain. This workshop is a step towards ensuring that the PACER Plus ALM not only enhances labour mobility but also supports sustainable livelihoods and economic development across the Pacific region. -ENDS- More articles like this one
Pacific Officials Receive Training on Bilateral Labour Migration Agreements
NADI, Fiji – The Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus Implementation Unit (PPIU), in partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Training Centre of the ILO (ITC-ILO), and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), is currently hosting the first regional training workshop on Bilateral Labour Migration Agreements (BLMAs) in Nadi, Fiji. The workshop, which runs from 20-24 May 2024, aims to build the capacity of Pacific government focal points in the design, negotiation, implementation, and monitoring of BLMAs. Pacific officials at the first regional training workshop on Bilateral Labour Migration Agreements in Nadi, Fiji. BLMAs have gained prominence as tools to facilitate labour mobility and play an important role in ensuring that the rights of migrant workers are protected. But in practice, their design, content, monitoring, and implementation can restrict their potential impact. During this five-day training workshop, participants will be trained by international experts on how to address these constraints, drawing on regional and international best practices. A highlight of the workshop is targeted training on negotiation skills including role-play simulations aimed at empowering officials with the skills to better negotiate labour mobility agreements that promote their interests particularly in situations of unequal power relations. The workshop aims to culminate in the development of a Pacific-specific matrix to assist officials in the design, implementation and monitoring of Bilateral Labour Migration Instruments including existing labour mobility MOUs. “This regional workshop is a much-needed capacity building initiative for Vanuatu as we are currently reviewing our Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and are looking to also review our Inter-Agency Understanding (IAU) for the New Zealand Recognized Seasonal Employer (RSE). This being the first regional training of its kind has addressed key capacity constraints that we face in terms of negotiating, implementing and effectively monitoring bilateral labour mobility agreements and we are therefore very grateful to PPIU, ILO and IOM for this very valuable opportunity,” said Ms. Leisei Jimmy, Labour Mobility Manager for Vanuatu. “As the CEO for the Niue Chamber of Commerce, this has been an enlightening valuable opportunity which has stressed the importance of inclusivity in the design, implementation, and monitoring of our labour mobility agreements. With the help of PACER Plus, we will be launching labour mobility pilots in the next months, and we look forward to using what we have been learning this week to ensuring that our bilateral labour agreement, including for this pilot, are rights-based and conducive to delivering the interests of both Niue and other Pacific labour sending countries,” said Ms. Catherine Papani, CEO of the Niue Chamber of Commerce. A highlight of the workshop is targeted training on negotiation skills aimed at empowering officials with the skills to better negotiate labour mobility agreements. The PPIU is particularly grateful to the ILO and the IOM for their invaluable support in the successful delivery of this first regional workshop. “This regional workshop is a true testament to the value of cooperation and collaboration amongst regional stakeholders. The partnership with ILO, ITC-ILO, and IOM, through their Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MMPTF), has allowed Pacific officials the opportunity to be trained by international experts and access internationally tested tools that will improve labour mobility good governance and the development of effective bilateral labour migration instruments for the Pacific. We look forward to continuing this level of collaboration into the future as we collaborate to increase the benefits of labour mobility for the Pacific,” said Dr. Alisi Kautoke Holani, PPIU’s Labour Mobility Specialist. -END- More articles like this one