Axel van Trotsenburg, Vice President, East Asia and Pacific, The World Bank; Jesse Doyle, Labour Migration Specialist, The World Bank; Professor Stephen Howes, Director, Development Policy Centre, Crawford School, ANU.

The Seasonal Worker Program (SWP) was established in 2008, initially as a pilot, then in 2012 as a permanent program, to help meet the labour needs in Australia’s horticultural sector and to provide labour mobility opportunities to Pacific islanders. Despite continuing growth, the SWP remains small in comparison both to the overall number of workers operating in the sectors it covers and to New Zealand’s equivalent Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme. For the SWP, the binding constraint remains low employer demand.
Why aren’t more employers demanding SWP workers? And what reforms would increase employer demand? Jesse Doyle from The World Bank and Stephen Howes from ANU presented findings from a joint World Bank-ANU survey undertaken in 2014 of employers and industry associations across the Australian horticulture industry, and it was followed by a panel discussion with stakeholders involved with seasonal migration. Mr Axel van Trotsenburg, World Bank Vice President for East Asia and Pacific, chaired this public forum.

>> view presentation

>> view report

>> listen to podcast

Blog posts
Where are all the seasonal workers? The most comprehensive survey of employers yet by Jesse Doyle and Stephen Howes
Reforming the SWP: a recruiter’s perspective by Grant Owen
Benefits of the Seasonal Worker Program: an employer’s perspective by Susan Jenkin

Media
» Backpackers undermine Pacific program, 7 News, 18 February 2015
» Call for Pacific seasonal workers to share costs, Radio New Zealand International, 18 February 2015
» Backpackers take Pacific seasonal workers jobs, Radio New Zealand International, 18 February 2015
» Changes needed to make Australian work scheme work, Radio New Zealand International, 18 February 2015