video. Seasonally, Damien works on a farm in Australia

If Damian left France, it was to break his routine and run away. Its aim: to undertake the Working Holiday Program (PVT) and work in Australia. This project allows foreigners to come and work in these sectors to make up for the shortage of manpower. With his partner, they leave their two permanent contracts to go on an adventure and learn a new language.

“You can make a lot of money.”

In Australia, permanent contracts are very rare. So farm work is equivalent to temporary work in France. Unlike France, there is no limit on working hours. “I charge at least $27 an hour (€16). The pay depends on your selection. You can earn a lot of moneyPer week, Damien, set a minimum of 50 hours per week, with a minimum wage of $5,000 (3,050 euros).

On the farm where he works, the days are not the same. His duties can range from picking trees to maintaining trees, including machinery. “We’ll be driving a lot of machines. Before I came to Australia, I didn’t know how to drive“, explains Damian. Within six months, the apprentice farmer is trained to handle all kinds of agricultural machinery. Today, the farm is in his hands and someone else’s hands.”They completely trust us. They tell us what we need to do for the week. They trained us over a few months and now we know how to take care of the whole farm perfectlyFor Damien, even broken English is no obstacle to starting this adventure. Only motivation and determination count.