Three different trades, one reason for working in Australia
Life in regional South Australia is very different to life in Fiji. No one knows that more than Iowane, Save and Ratu, three PALM scheme employees doing mechanical, maintenance and farm work in Dutton, South Australia. The team all bring different backgrounds in farming, business and engineering, but all came here for the same reason: supporting their family.
In June 2026, the team stepped off the plane to a completely different climate from Fiji, they were chilly and adjusting to a new and much cooler environment, but ready to achieve their goals.
While this farm is regional and far from nearby towns, the three are supported by Site Manager, Zoe.
“I want to empower them to succeed at work and outside of work so they can achieve their own personal goals here in Australia and back home in Fiji,” said Zoe.
Whether she's out on the farm with them in person or just a phone call away, Zoe was there to help with onboarding into their work and now is there to explain their day to day responsibilities or assisting settling into a new country by showing them where to get involved in the community or what services are locally available.
Zoe's relationship with the team is built on care and laughter and she stays close 24/7. Thanks to her support, the team has only one day off due to illness as this team is aligned and thriving.
In typical Zoe fashion she said, “On the way to the accommodation, we drove past a house with ruins that was falling apart, I said, ‘sorry, but we have to get a few more repairs done on your house, but this is where you're staying’”, which was delivered with a laugh.
Iowane has gone from his own small plot to hundreds of hectares
Iowane grew up working the family's own land back in Fiji. Still, nothing prepared him for farming at the scale of South Australia, on properties with nearly a hundred paddocks and hundreds of hectares.
“I’m really learning from this company what they are doing, running some machines and everything like that,” said Iowane. Saving money to bring machinery to his own farm, “My goal is to help my family back home,” he said.
Save's enjoying a quieter pace of life
Save had never flown anywhere before he went to Australia, let alone overseas and coming from a city, the quiet of farm life took some adjusting to.
"This is a quiet, peaceful life, no neighbours to talk to," Save said.
Save has taken to tailing sheep, shearing and dematting, entirely new skills that he is looking forward to using when returning to Fiji. He's a trained mechanic and the mix of new farm skills and his own trade knowledge is part of what makes the opportunity exciting and worthwhile to him.
Save is also inspired to save his income so he can achieve multiple goals whilst here in Australia.
"I want to extend my house and do a double wall and whenever I get back, I want to do business and buy a new car," Save said.
Ratu's aircraft engineering skills transfer to spray rigs and big machinery
Before coming to Australia, Ratu spent time working in England as an aircraft engineer, specialising in the electrical side of the trade.
"I applied through the National Employment Centre and I would say I was blessed enough to get chosen to find an opportunity," said Ratu.
Now since coming to Australia with the PALM scheme, he’s learning to operate sprayers and large farm vehicles, work that's given him a new appreciation for the mechanical side of machinery.
"There's so many things to learn about the spraying machines, how to operate inside and outside and also if the machines break down, on the mechanical side of it," Ratu said.
"With the help of the boys, Save and Iowane and the guys back home as well, I was able to up my knowledge of the mechanical side of it, which is really good, a bonus to me."
Ratu too comes with many goals, he wants to build a house for his family, grow the business he's already started back in Fiji into something more commercial, a grocery wholesaler, and keep learning everything he can from the team around him.
Building something bigger than the work itself
There's a lot of South Australia to explore; the natural landscapes and regional towns are unique and worth spending some time in.
“When they’re not at work the boys love driving around and exploring and they always snap a photo of the landscape or landmarks. For us as Site Managers this is incredibly important to see the team getting out and about around their local community when they’re not at work,” said Zoe.
They’ve made the most of exploring their new surroundings, spending time in Elizabeth, Eudunda, Nuriootpa and the Barossa Valley, taking in a part of Australia none of them had seen before.
"Elizabeth which is not so expensive, you can buy in bulk, loads of stuff. So, while we do our fortnightly shopping, we also get to see places as well, it's good," Ratu said.
RWM is supporting their growth on the farm and their goals at home, from the farm business to the house, to the trade that's turned into a company of its own.
Every one of them is here to learn something new, take it home and give their families a better life along the way.
Client challenge
Workforce gaps in skilled trades continue to be a major challenge, however, international talent is helping RWM to bridge this gap. One of our clients in the manufacturing sector needed a skilled boilermaker for a long-term role but struggled to find local talent.
What we did
To bridge this gap, we leveraged our international recruitment expertise to connect our client in Victoria with highly skilled boilermakers from overseas to address critical workforce shortages. Lewis and Abel, who joined us from South Africa on three year visas are now contributing their expertise to keep manufacturing operations productive and competitive. We identified talented individuals like Lewis and Abel, facilitated their relocation, and ensured their transition to Australia was seamless.
We provided end-to-end support, from initial recruitment to onboarding, including:
- Comprehensive recruitment: Our process involved conducting in-depth skill assessments and ensuring compliance with visa applications, all tailored to meet the specific needs of the client. This enabled them to access highly skilled tradespeople from across the globe, effectively addressing skill shortages.
- Relocation and mobilisation: Our team handled all the logistics, from coordinating flights to ensuring safe, efficient travel to the worksite. We arranged airport pickups, transport to accommodation, and supported the workers with settling into their new roles, providing a smooth transition for Lewis and Abel’s new international hires.
- Onboarding: We assisted with essential services like opening bank accounts, setting up SIM cards, and completing health checks. Plus, with our 24/7 pastoral care support, we ensured the workers' emotional and cultural well-being, helping them feel welcomed and supported both on-site and off-site
By facilitating a smooth transition, we helped our client secure the skilled workforce needed to maintain efficiency and drive business success.
Solutions delivered
RWM not only helped our client to fill critical skills gaps but also ensureed Lewis and Abel had the support they needed to settle into their new roles – and a new country. Our approach provided a smooth transition for both the business and the workers joining it. Here’s how we made it happen:
- Housing: Upon arrival, both workers were provided with employer-arranged shared accommodation, giving them the time to find a suitable apartment to move into near their work.
- Setting up essentials: Both workers received support with bank accounts, SIM card setups, tax file numbers, and other key services to ensure they were set up and could settle in quickly.
- Community integration: Lewis and Abel quickly acclimated, with Lewis arriving 2 weeks earlier, learning the ropes of Melbourne and then guiding Abel through the adjustment process when he arrived, helping him settle into Melbourne.
- Personalised support: Lewis purchased a car when he arrived in Melbourne, and then spent time introducing Abel to the city when he arrived, further strengthening their friendship and easing the transition.
Impact and results
Both Lewis and Abel have become integral to the client’s operations, contributing their trade expertise to an exciting new project. Their skills have ensured that manufacturing deadlines are met, client expectations are exceeded, and operations remain ahead of schedule.
Their journey highlights RWM’s broader mission: empowering skilled international workers to build futures in Australia while addressing critical skills shortages for clients.
As Lewis reflected, “RWM really looked after us. They arranged our flights, picked us up at the airport, and made sure we had everything we needed, like setting up a bank account and a SIM card.”
The ultimate goal for both workers is to reunite with their families in Australiar, made possible by the opportunities and support provided by RWM.
Looking ahead
By bringing international talent to Australia, RWM continues to solve the challenge of finding skilled tradespeople, helping clients like ours maintain productivity and competitiveness.
If you're facing a shortage of skilled tradespeople, RWM is here to help. Contact us today or reach out to our Recruitment Operations Manager, Maike Holland, at MHolland@fipgroup.com.au, to discuss how we can support your workforce needs.
Three different trades, one reason for working in Australia
Client challenge
Workforce gaps in skilled trades continue to be a major challenge, however, international talent is helping RWM to bridge this gap. One of our clients in the manufacturing sector needed a skilled boilermaker for a long-term role but struggled to find local talent.
What we did
To bridge this gap, we leveraged our international recruitment expertise to connect our client in Victoria with highly skilled boilermakers from overseas to address critical workforce shortages. Lewis and Abel, who joined us from South Africa on three year visas are now contributing their expertise to keep manufacturing operations productive and competitive. We identified talented individuals like Lewis and Abel, facilitated their relocation, and ensured their transition to Australia was seamless.
We provided end-to-end support, from initial recruitment to onboarding, including:
- Comprehensive recruitment: Our process involved conducting in-depth skill assessments and ensuring compliance with visa applications, all tailored to meet the specific needs of the client. This enabled them to access highly skilled tradespeople from across the globe, effectively addressing skill shortages.
- Relocation and mobilisation: Our team handled all the logistics, from coordinating flights to ensuring safe, efficient travel to the worksite. We arranged airport pickups, transport to accommodation, and supported the workers with settling into their new roles, providing a smooth transition for Lewis and Abel’s new international hires.
- Onboarding: We assisted with essential services like opening bank accounts, setting up SIM cards, and completing health checks. Plus, with our 24/7 pastoral care support, we ensured the workers' emotional and cultural well-being, helping them feel welcomed and supported both on-site and off-site
By facilitating a smooth transition, we helped our client secure the skilled workforce needed to maintain efficiency and drive business success.
Solutions delivered
RWM not only helped our client to fill critical skills gaps but also ensureed Lewis and Abel had the support they needed to settle into their new roles – and a new country. Our approach provided a smooth transition for both the business and the workers joining it. Here’s how we made it happen:
- Housing: Upon arrival, both workers were provided with employer-arranged shared accommodation, giving them the time to find a suitable apartment to move into near their work.
- Setting up essentials: Both workers received support with bank accounts, SIM card setups, tax file numbers, and other key services to ensure they were set up and could settle in quickly.
- Community integration: Lewis and Abel quickly acclimated, with Lewis arriving 2 weeks earlier, learning the ropes of Melbourne and then guiding Abel through the adjustment process when he arrived, helping him settle into Melbourne.
- Personalised support: Lewis purchased a car when he arrived in Melbourne, and then spent time introducing Abel to the city when he arrived, further strengthening their friendship and easing the transition.
Impact and results
Both Lewis and Abel have become integral to the client’s operations, contributing their trade expertise to an exciting new project. Their skills have ensured that manufacturing deadlines are met, client expectations are exceeded, and operations remain ahead of schedule.
Their journey highlights RWM’s broader mission: empowering skilled international workers to build futures in Australia while addressing critical skills shortages for clients.
As Lewis reflected, “RWM really looked after us. They arranged our flights, picked us up at the airport, and made sure we had everything we needed, like setting up a bank account and a SIM card.”
The ultimate goal for both workers is to reunite with their families in Australiar, made possible by the opportunities and support provided by RWM.
Looking ahead
By bringing international talent to Australia, RWM continues to solve the challenge of finding skilled tradespeople, helping clients like ours maintain productivity and competitiveness.
If you're facing a shortage of skilled tradespeople, RWM is here to help. Contact us today or reach out to our Recruitment Operations Manager, Maike Holland, at MHolland@fipgroup.com.au, to discuss how we can support your workforce needs.
Life in regional South Australia is very different to life in Fiji. No one knows that more than Iowane, Save and Ratu, three PALM scheme employees doing mechanical, maintenance and farm work in Dutton, South Australia. The team all bring different backgrounds in farming, business and engineering, but all came here for the same reason: supporting their family.
In June 2026, the team stepped off the plane to a completely different climate from Fiji, they were chilly and adjusting to a new and much cooler environment, but ready to achieve their goals.
While this farm is regional and far from nearby towns, the three are supported by Site Manager, Zoe.
“I want to empower them to succeed at work and outside of work so they can achieve their own personal goals here in Australia and back home in Fiji,” said Zoe.
Whether she's out on the farm with them in person or just a phone call away, Zoe was there to help with onboarding into their work and now is there to explain their day to day responsibilities or assisting settling into a new country by showing them where to get involved in the community or what services are locally available.
Zoe's relationship with the team is built on care and laughter and she stays close 24/7. Thanks to her support, the team has only one day off due to illness as this team is aligned and thriving.
In typical Zoe fashion she said, “On the way to the accommodation, we drove past a house with ruins that was falling apart, I said, ‘sorry, but we have to get a few more repairs done on your house, but this is where you're staying’”, which was delivered with a laugh.
Iowane has gone from his own small plot to hundreds of hectares
Iowane grew up working the family's own land back in Fiji. Still, nothing prepared him for farming at the scale of South Australia, on properties with nearly a hundred paddocks and hundreds of hectares.
“I’m really learning from this company what they are doing, running some machines and everything like that,” said Iowane. Saving money to bring machinery to his own farm, “My goal is to help my family back home,” he said.
Save's enjoying a quieter pace of life
Save had never flown anywhere before he went to Australia, let alone overseas and coming from a city, the quiet of farm life took some adjusting to.
"This is a quiet, peaceful life, no neighbours to talk to," Save said.
Save has taken to tailing sheep, shearing and dematting, entirely new skills that he is looking forward to using when returning to Fiji. He's a trained mechanic and the mix of new farm skills and his own trade knowledge is part of what makes the opportunity exciting and worthwhile to him.
Save is also inspired to save his income so he can achieve multiple goals whilst here in Australia.
"I want to extend my house and do a double wall and whenever I get back, I want to do business and buy a new car," Save said.
Ratu's aircraft engineering skills transfer to spray rigs and big machinery
Before coming to Australia, Ratu spent time working in England as an aircraft engineer, specialising in the electrical side of the trade.
"I applied through the National Employment Centre and I would say I was blessed enough to get chosen to find an opportunity," said Ratu.
Now since coming to Australia with the PALM scheme, he’s learning to operate sprayers and large farm vehicles, work that's given him a new appreciation for the mechanical side of machinery.
"There's so many things to learn about the spraying machines, how to operate inside and outside and also if the machines break down, on the mechanical side of it," Ratu said.
"With the help of the boys, Save and Iowane and the guys back home as well, I was able to up my knowledge of the mechanical side of it, which is really good, a bonus to me."
Ratu too comes with many goals, he wants to build a house for his family, grow the business he's already started back in Fiji into something more commercial, a grocery wholesaler, and keep learning everything he can from the team around him.
Building something bigger than the work itself
There's a lot of South Australia to explore; the natural landscapes and regional towns are unique and worth spending some time in.
“When they’re not at work the boys love driving around and exploring and they always snap a photo of the landscape or landmarks. For us as Site Managers this is incredibly important to see the team getting out and about around their local community when they’re not at work,” said Zoe.
They’ve made the most of exploring their new surroundings, spending time in Elizabeth, Eudunda, Nuriootpa and the Barossa Valley, taking in a part of Australia none of them had seen before.
"Elizabeth which is not so expensive, you can buy in bulk, loads of stuff. So, while we do our fortnightly shopping, we also get to see places as well, it's good," Ratu said.
RWM is supporting their growth on the farm and their goals at home, from the farm business to the house, to the trade that's turned into a company of its own.
Every one of them is here to learn something new, take it home and give their families a better lie along the way.
