Employers see opportunities in UK job expos

New Zealand employers and recruiters see opportunities in UK job expos

9 October 2007

New Zealand employers, recruitment firms and representatives from economic development agencies leave this week for two job expos in the United Kingdom in a bid to attract British migrants and expatriate Kiwis to fill New Zealand skill shortages.

They will be heading first to the Opportunities New Zealand Expo in London, which runs from Friday to Sunday (12 to 14 October). Many of them will then be travelling to the Opportunities New Zealand Expo in Manchester the following weekend (20 and 21 October).

The expos have become a one-stop shop for Britons seeking information about jobs and New Zealand.
Exhibitors this year include a specialist Canterbury health sector recruiter who 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.

In Auckland, three business agencies have established a combined brand to represent their region at the Opportunities New Zealand Expo.

Regional economic development agency AucklandPlus, Enterprise Waitakere and the Auckland Chamber of Commerce have set up a joint brand “Auckland Recruits” to represent the wider Auckland area at the events.
Spokesperson Dana Findlay said Auckland Recruits had been established to ensure all Auckland businesses, regardless of size and resources, had the opportunity to promote vacancies to international job seekers.
“Global recruitment has in the past been cost-prohibitive for many smaller businesses, yet skills are a key regional economic driver.”

For employers across New Zealand, 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.

Expo spokeswoman Kylie Barker predicted this month’s expos would continue a trend of increasing visitor figures. The London expo in March attracted nearly 6,000 visitors.

She said comments from visitors indicated British interest in the New Zealand employment market remains strong.

Previous research has found 72% 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.

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