More than 770 employers in Fiji are bringing in workers from overseas to fill gaps in the domestic labour market, according to the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation. Work permit applications reached a monthly record of 1,080 in September, the federation said, as employers warned that the shortage of suitably trained staff was affecting their ability to operate and expand.
Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation CEO Edward Bernard. Photo: FCEF website.
Federation chief executive Edward Bernard said employers and investors were concerned about the state of the labour market and called for clearer government leadership. His comments followed scholarship service findings on course completion and employment. The Fiji Times reported that more than 33,000 scholarship recipients had failed to complete their studies or had their awards terminated. It also reported that 53 per cent of graduates over the previous three years had found employment.
Bernard put the cost of non-completion at $235 million to taxpayers. For the federation, the figures raise questions about how well education spending translates into skills employers can use. They also leave employers asking which courses prepare graduates for vacancies they struggle to fill.
The Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association backed the federation’s concerns. Its chief executive, Fantasha Lockington, said operators wanted to employ and develop more Fijians, but candidates needed the practical experience and qualifications required for available roles. She called for “practical job pathways, relevant training and coordinated national leadership”.
For hotels and other tourism businesses, vacant positions can limit the services a property can offer or increase pressure on existing teams. The issue takes on added importance as developers prepare to add hotel capacity. New properties need people before they open, giving operators a reason to coordinate training and recruitment with providers while construction is still under way.
Lockington said education programmes should be judged by course completion, graduate employability and the relevance of skills to employers, alongside the money allocated. The September permit figure shows the immediate pressure on recruitment. The longer-term question for government, employers and training providers is whether more Fijians can gain the experience needed to fill those jobs before new projects and expanding businesses put further strain on the labour market.
