PALM staff finish training and start working

December 19, 2023

As 2023 draws to a close, so does the training for our five PALM workers in Young.

Four weeks of orientation and buddy shifts has culminated in the carers from Timor Leste being added to the roster and working on the floor.

The staff are part of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, a first for Southern Cross Care, which was introduced to help with the current workforce shortages and designed to develop skills held by overseas workers which they will take home at the completion of their contracts.

Facility Manager at Young Sally O’Connor said the five new staff have been welcomed with open arms and very quickly become popular team members.  

“We are all thrilled to have our five new employees under the PALM scheme,” she said.

“After more than a month getting settled into their home and the local community, they have now commenced in their roles at our home.

“This has been a wonderful opportunity for all our residents and staff””

Due to the program’s success, Talent Acquisition Manager Connie Fitzpatrick and Clinical Governance Support Manager -Patricia Purcell recently visited Timor Leste and met with seventeen potential new employees who will hopefully start to arrive in Australia in early March.

While over there, they also met with Timor Leste’s National Directorate of Foreign Employment, who is responsible for managing programs for placing workers in labour markets abroad and who is supportive of placing staff from the pacific region with us.