Riya Bhagwan 
[Photo: FILE]
A job in Fiji’s Ministry of Education was replaced by work at a service station when Rohit Roy Kumar moved to Australia.
His experience reflects a challenge some Fijian migrants face when their qualifications and professional experience do not immediately translate into jobs in the same field.
Kumar, the President of the Australian Integrated Fijian Association of Victoria, says navigating Australia’s education and employment requirements can be one of the biggest hurdles for new migrants.
“Like, from my personal experience, like, when I migrated to Australia, I couldn’t find a job that I was doing back in Fiji working for the Ministry of Education, and I had to start up in a service station.”
Kumar says he worked at the service station while studying at university before eventually returning to his professional field.
He says his experience is shared by some Fijian migrants who arrive in Australia expecting to continue their careers.
The challenge, he says, is not necessarily a lack of qualifications, but ensuring their skills meet Australian education and employment requirements.
For some, this can mean taking jobs outside their profession while retraining or working towards having their qualifications recognised.
Kumar says the process can be difficult, but migrants can eventually work their way back into their chosen fields.
He says Fijians continue to contribute to Australia’s workforce across sectors including healthcare, agriculture and education.
