Kon Vatskalis’ Bali recruitment drive is netting results

A pilot program to bring overseas workers into Darwin’s pubs and restaurants has taken off. Read how it will work.

The sister city relationship struck last year between Darwin and Denpasar is beginning to deliver results.

Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis flew to the Bali capital in June 2022 to ink the accord with one of Darwin’s nearest neighbours.

An outcome of the relationship was the Denpasar Hospitality Program, a pilot scheme where 25 students a year from Denpasar will come to Darwin to undertake accredited training and hospitality work.

Having stumped up for their own visas and airfares, the first three students have arrived in Darwin and after three weeks of training and accreditation will be sent out to the workforce.

Left to right, Kadek Agus Aditya Dwipayana, Ni Luh Putu Indraswari, Mayor of Denpasar, I Gusti Ngurah Jaya Negara, Kathryn Stenson, GTNT chief executive, and Paramitha Ni Made Mahaputr for the City of Darwin Denpasar delegation. Picture: Helen Orr

The remaining 22 students under the scheme are expected to arrive in Darwin next month.

Territory job training provider GTNT has teamed with City of Darwin and the Northern Territory government to recruit candidates suitable to work here.

Brooke Timms, along with GTNT chief executive Kathryn Stenson, interviewed almost 60 prospective candidates before selecting the team that will make the trip to Darwin.

“There’s quite a large hospitality shortage at the moment and the industry is reliant on a transient backpacker workforce for hospitality and tourism,” Ms Timms said.

“It’s a pilot program at this stage. We’re responding to industry needs and essentially working with Hospitality NT and the larger hospitality businesses to respond directly to their staffing needs.”

Brooke Timms from GTNT.

With the pilot program scheduled to wrap up in December, the workers will be able to stay in Australia on the two-year visa or return to Bali.

“The idea is for the participants to take their skills back to their home country,” Ms Timms said.

Announcing the sister city visit last June, Mr Vatskalis targeted bringing 1000 skilled workers from Denpasar to Darwin with assistance from the NT government.

“Immigration, temporary permissions to work and visa categories is a complex area to negotiate and the rules and requirements can change quickly,” Mr Vatskalis said.

“This makes MigrationNT’s involvement critical to the success of our plan to bring 1000 skilled workers from Denpasar to Darwin.”