OBJECTIVE:

This Component 3, The Labor Mobility Program (LMP), will provide support in two areas:

1. Carrying out Pre-departure training for labour mobility workers seasonal and other workers; and

2. Carrying out activities to strengthen institutional capacity of the Overseas Employment Division to:

  (a) disseminate information and outreach to prospective migrants on the available work opportunities and how to finance them, and conduct relevant training on social impacts of labour mobility;

 (b) streamline the selection procedures for overseas employment opportunities; and

  (c) develop and expand the pool of prospective migrants who are work ready, including supporting the facilitation of medical clearances for workers from Outer Islands and providing x-ray equipment and teleradiology systems in selected Outer Islands hospitals.

Pre-Departure Training:

The LMP will support improving the provision of pre-departure training, through support for training content development and delivery, including through additional training resources. Currently, due to budget constraints, pre-departure briefing by Overseas Employment Division (OED) has been condensed to a 3 days program. Through the proposed LMP, this pre-departure training will be expanded to include in-depth the key issues for all migrant workers. This includes letter of offers (wages and conditions offered to Seasonal Workers, how to raise a concern with Approved Employers; the role of the Fair Work Ombudsman; the role of unions in Australia and New Zealand; the deductions that can be lawfully made from seasonal workers’ earnings; taxation; superannuation; workers’ compensation; details of a pay slip, safety at work; discrimination and harassment in the workplace; productivity at work; the costs involved in the SWP; financial literacy; banking and remittance arrangements; visa conditions; what to do in an emergency; the location of the work and accommodation; availability of services in the community; staying health and what to do if a Seasonal Worker becomes unwell; personal safety; health insurance) climate; flights; as well as Australia and New Zealand customs, immigration and quarantine arrangements. This full training content will be used to support pre-departure briefing provided by the OED and through other providers. For the Pacific Labor Scheme, which is undertaking its own pre-departure training, SET will collaborate in supporting their curriculum development and delivery.

Institutional Strengthening for the Overseas Employment Division:

SET Project will support the MIA’s Overseas Employment Division in several areas:

 (i) information and outreach to prospective migrants on different employment opportunities available;

 (ii) provision of X-ray machines in the Outer Islands for health checks and

 (iii) building up the work ready pool of prospective Tongan migrants.

 (iv) Provide pre-departure trainings

The communication strategy and outreach will include the advertisement and promotion of work opportunities through both the labour mobility schemes and longer-term/ higher skilled migration pathways. A particular focus will be on providing targeted information on migration opportunities to people living in the Outer Islands and to women. Finally, SET will finance the expansion of their existing work-ready pool of prospective migrants as demand for Tongan workers grows. This will include the broadening of this pool from its current focus on low-skilled workers to cover the entire skills spectrum. Measures will be put in place to ensure that as this work ready pool of migrants develops, there is a high number of young women participation.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

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