A new talent attraction campaign designed to entice the world’s best technology workers to a new life in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland kicked off today. The digital campaign aims to attract the workforce required to support the Auckland region’s booming tech industry and address the sector’s sustained skills gaps.

Auckland is Calling is an initiative by Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, the region’s economic and cultural agency, spanning visitor and talent attraction for Tāmaki Makaurau. The Auckland is Calling tech talent attraction campaign showcases the region as a world-class tech hub and unique place to live and work via a series of tech migrant and business video case studies. The campaign targets international senior tech talent, in particular roles on the Immigration NZ Green List of hard-to-fill, highly skilled roles that provide a priority pathway to residency.

Marissa Brindley, Head of Tech Economy and Skills at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited says Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s technology industry is dynamic and growing fast, with 4300 new jobs expected over the next five years.

“From gaming to AI, aerospace to fintech — our tech industry is taking off, with more senior tech jobs than the talent to do them. We need global talent to help us continue this trajectory and advance our industry knowledge, capabilities and business. The New Zealand gaming sector, for example, is rapidly expanding and only stands to gain more traction due to the recent budget announcement of a rebate for video game developers under a $160 million package,” says Marissa Brindley.

“Auckland is Calling helps demonstrate to international tech talent what Tāmaki Makaurau has to offer — from the variety of roles to our progressive tech businesses, startups and leaders, as well as being an incredible place to live, offering a lifestyle like no other. This project runs alongside our work to create career pathways for our home-grown tech workforce,” says Marissa Brindley.

The campaign portrays Auckland’s technology industry and lifestyle through the eyes of tech migrants, including Justin VanAusdall, the Operations Lead in Digital Services at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, who emigrated from the United States; Carolina Guedes, Java Chapter Lead at Spark, originally from Portugal; and Joe Ashford, Systems Engineer at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, from the United Kingdom.

In addition, there are case studies featuring leaders from some of Tāmaki Makaurau’s most cutting-edge tech companies and startups, such as the world-leading Fisher & Paykel Healthcare; Zero Jet, innovator of electric jet motors; MACSO Technologies, a cloud-based AI platform whose mission is to give AI the ability to replicate human senses to prevent catastrophes from happening; and Argo Navis Aerospace, a commercial supplier of upper-stage rocket engines. The campaign also features Auckland-based game design and development studio Metia Interactive, with its founder and managing director Maru Nihoniho, a pioneer of New Zealand’s gaming industry.

The campaign is part of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited’s Tech Tāmaki Makaurau programme, a three-year plan launched in 2022 to further position Auckland as a global epicentre of innovation, technology and talent that creates an inclusive and equitable future for all. The campaign falls under the first of the three pillars of the Tech Tāmaki Makaurau strategy: manaakitanga (attracting home-grown and international talent). The other two strategy pillars being: kaitiakitanga (a sustainable and equitable future) and kōtahitanga (a globally connected, inclusive and collaborative tech city).

Over the next five weeks, the Auckland is Calling tech talent attraction campaign will target the key global tech regions including South Africa, the United Kingdom and the west coast of the United States with digital placements across social media. The campaign timing is aligned with NZTech See Tomorrow First’s latest digital activation which launched recently. See Tomorrow First is a global marketing and sales initiative, created in collaboration with industry and government to help build awareness of the strength and capability of New Zealand's technology industry.

To view the Auckland is Calling tech talent attraction campaign or sign up to receive the Auckland tech career newsletter, please visit: Work and Live in Auckland.

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