Stories

Kurarenga and Robin at Bolton Clarke residential aged care facility

Video - Celebrating 1000 women workers in Pacific Labour Scheme

In November 2021, we celebrated the arrival of the 1000th woman on the Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS). Through the PLS and the Seasonal Worker Programme, women are positively impacting businesses throughout Australia.

A woman standing in a greenhouse full of berry plants wearing a pale pink beanie smiles at the camera

How this employer is reaping the benefits of a diverse workforce

Burlington Berries is one of many Australian businesses that have experienced the positive impacts of employing women through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.

A Fijian Pacific labour mobility worker wearing a red and white shirt catches a football.

Video - Building a community of care in Tamworth, New South Wales

The Fijian community in Tamworth is supporting Pacific Labour Scheme workers in the region by helping them join church programs and participate in footy training sessions, social events and outings.

Video - 'Here we are, we can do it!'

Bulmer Farms in Victoria employs workers from Timor-Leste, Kiribati and Vanuatu, with women working across all areas of the company. They are adapting to their work and life in Australia, learning new skills, and building houses in their home countries for themselves and their families.

Pacific worker picking strawberries header 2

Video - 'They've done a fantastic job'

Maria and Bela from Timor-Leste are seasonal workers in Tasmania, Australia. Their employers at Burlington Berries couldn't be happier with their work.

Three people stand together smiling at the camera wearing warm winter clothing. Two are older with grey hair and dark coats, while the man in the foreground has a brown collared shirt and a baseball cap.

Video - Building a community of care in Smithton, Tasmania

There are more than 60 Pacific Labour Scheme workers in Smithton, Tasmania, from Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Samoa. They are filling ongoing labour shortages in the area, and are also playing sport, making connections and becoming "like family" to many locals in the community.

A group of Pacific islanders in colourful clothing stand on a stage singing and playing guitar.

Video - Church partnership event in Mildura, Victoria

The Victorian Adventist Wantok Church hosted their first church partnership event in May 2021. The event provided the opportunity for Pacific island workers from Robinvale, Mildura and Stawell to connect through prayer, song and stories, as well as sharing a delicious meal.

Three Kiribati workers in blue and turquoise uniforms stand smiling in front of a Bolton Clarke pioneers banner

Former tourism workers fill aged care labour gaps during COVID-19

When Australia’s COVID-19 travel restrictions kicked in, Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS) workers Teremita Loeru, Tiein Taite and Maatai Tamaiti were stood down from their roles in the tourism industry.

A man in a high-visibility long sleeved yellow shirt and navy baseball cap crouches in front of a planted row of berries in a berry-growing tunnel.

Video - 'We can build our country's economy too!'

Joe, James and Junior started working at Queensland Berries in Australia through the Pacific Labour Scheme in early 2021. After only 2 months, they already had clear goals for how they plan to use the money they earn and the skills they learn in Australia when they return home to Solomon Islands.

Learning new skills in Australia – and starting businesses back home

At Mossmont Nurseries in Griffith, New South Wales, seasonal workers from Timor-Leste are not only learning valuable tree-growing skills, they are also cultivating the future health and wealth of their families back home.