02 November 2007

IT engineers with New Zealand visas needed to meet growth

Ambitious New Zealand companies with exciting growth plans are facing difficulties hiring skilled IT engineers and managers with commercial skills in an international market. New Zealand immigration by skilled professionals is needed to help these companies compete in the global market.

Peter Maire of payment technology company Provenco-Cadmus talked to the New Zealand Herald about the problem. "The skills problem is a huge issue for New Zealand companies and one we talk a lot about," he said.

He explained that there is huge potential for expansion into the global market but "we lack the people in New Zealand with the commercial skills" to attack that market. Highlighting the importance of rapid growth to achieve the necessary scale, he noted: "All this intellectual property we develop rusts very quickly. If we don't globalise quickly, the value of the business diminishes."

New Zealand firms need to find innovative high performers, competent staff and IT engineers who can manage other engineers, Maire concluded.

New Zealand needs skilled IT professionals: Anyone applying for a New Zealand visa should begin by taking the New Zealand Visa Bureau's online New Zealand visa assessment to see if they meet the basic legislative requirements.