Employers putting NZ jobs on show in UK
Wednesday, 17 October 2007
Employers putting NZ jobs on show in UK
Employers and recruiters were today preparing
to put New Zealand jobs
on show in the United Kingdom
for the second consecutive week.
After a busy three-day
event in London last weekend, participants in
the
Opportunities New Zealand Expo were setting up again for a
two-
day Manchester expo due to open next Saturday (20
October).
They aim to attract British migrants and
expatriate Kiwis to fill New
Zealand skill
shortages.
Expo spokeswoman Kylie Barker said from London
exhibitors had put in
long hours to prepare for both
events and feedback showed the effort
was paying
off.
“We had more than 5000 people through the London
expo and many of
them are well-advanced in their plans
to move to New Zealand,” she said.
“Comments from
employers and recruiters indicate they are attracting
high-calibre candidates for positions they have been
unable to fill
locally.”
Exhibitors this year
include a specialist Canterbury health sector
recruiter
which places a UK nurse each week on average as a result of
attending expos since 2001, and a Bay of Plenty regional
economic
development agency which has attracted more
than 200 skilled migrants
since 2004.
Wellington’s
economic development agency Positively Wellington
Business ended the London expo with details of more than
400 skilled
British migrants ready to fill vacancies in
the region.
Three Auckland business agencies are promoting
a combined brand they
established to represent their
region at the expo.
Regional economic development agency
AucklandPlus, Waitakere
Enterprise and the Auckland
Chamber of Commerce set up “Auckland
Recruits” to
give smaller employers direct access to the
international recruitment market.
The expos have
become a one-stop shop for Britons seeking information
about jobs and New Zealand. For employers, hiring
skilled British
migrants has become a reliable method
of beating a nation-wide staff
shortage.
New
Zealand’s 18% employment growth over six years has created
an
extra 300,000 jobs with an additional 40,000 new
positions expected
this year. This has limited
employers’ ability to fill skilled roles
from within
New Zealand.
More skilled migrants come from the UK than
any other country — 37%
of all skilled or business
permanent migrants came from there in
2005/06.
More
than 70% of expo visitors are degree-qualified people. Most
of
them (62%) are aged between 24 and 39 years. After
employment (92%),
lifestyle is the main reason 91% of
visitors give for considering a
move to New
Zealand.
They attend mainly to get information about
employment and visas, and
79% expect to arrive in New
Zealand within 12
months.
ends