EXPATRIATES are paid up to three times more while local graduates are leaving the country for better pay abroad.
This has created a problem that continues to drain the country’s talent pool, says Dr Daniel Wood, Senior Fellow and Discipline Coordinator in Mechanical Engineering at the University of the South Pacific (USP).
“Unfortunately, we bring in expatriates on exorbitant packages,” he said.
“We keep them at three times the cost of a local person.”
He said the issue stemmed from how both local firms and development agencies valued homegrown talent.
“Until our companies and the development sector offer locals the same conditions they give expatriates, this brain drain won’t stop.”
Dr Wood said USP produced strong engineering graduates but many chose jobs in Australia and New Zealand.
“It’s frustrating. We see some of our best graduates leave straight after finishing their degrees.
“I tell them to stay, do a master’s or a PhD, but they say, ‘The money’s too good over there’.”
He said the problem affected more than just the energy sector, with transport, infrastructure, and other technical areas also losing skilled workers every year.
“Employers need to focus not just on hiring, but on retention.
“Train your people. Pay them properly. Create a path for them to grow.”
Dr Wood warned that without a shift in mindset, Fiji would continue to lose talent and pay more to replace it.
“The brain drain is real — and it’s costing us, financially and nationally.”
