The Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation is hopeful that the current gaps in the labour market will be filled by new graduates.

During the pandemic, many Fijians started their own business and following the success have resigned from their formal workplaces.

FCEF CEO, Kameli Batiweti says the government has put in a lot of effort to assist the Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises, and Fijians are now reaping the benefits.

“Some of the employees are now becoming an entrepreneur and with government support for the MSME, that business that they have ventured into has become successful and so some of them have now tasted success in entrepreneurship that they have now decided to resign from their place of employment.”

Batiweti says it may be early days but Fiji is moving towards a labour shortage.

However, he says on the positive side the vacancies left by these Fijians will create opportunities for others.

“For the employer that is a lost opportunity, a lost resource because some of those people come with a lot of experience and so that is the downside. The upside, it just means that it creates employment opportunities for those students coming out of universities.”

During the lockdown period, many Fijians moved back to their villagers to begin commercial farming, some ventured into small roadside food businesses while others developed their hidden talents to venture into entrepreneurship.