Joseph Mario is grateful he has secured a three-year working contract under the Pacific Labour Scheme.

He said the opportunity came after a long job-hunting period and five months of unemployment.

The 32-year-old father of six children was one of the 12 people chosen under the Pacific Labour Scheme to work in a Perth, Western Australia-based company Harvey Beef for three years.

The Pacific Labour Scheme allowed people from Pacific island countries to work in low and semi-skilled jobs in rural and regional Australia for up to three years.

It is managed by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and supported by a managing contractor.

Mr Mario departed for Australia at 9am on Tuesday with 12 others in his group.

He said 80 people were selected, 20 were dropped and from that number a final 60 were chosen.

“Out of that, the first 12 were selected and I was in that group, there are four of us from the Western Division,” he said.

“I was unemployed living off the farm. I was job hunting for a long time. A lot of the companies I applied to never replied so we struggled.”

He said he applied in 2018 and began updating his Curriculum Vitae but was advised to opt for the department of meat works due to the use of machines and his background in engineering.

He is on a three-year contract and it is up to the company if it needs him to stay back and extend.

He said he planned to use the money saved up within the three years to return and start a business to support his family.

This initiative is a big help, especially as it will enable Mr Mario to pay off his debts, loans and also save.

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