10 October 2007

Winterless northern New Zealand wants to attract skilled UK immigrants

A new initiative to attract skilled and qualified British people to apply for a New Zealand visa has been started by the regional development agency for northern New Zealand. The latest quarterly Department of Labour job market report showed that vacancies in Northland are up 4.6 per cent and Enterprise Northland estimates the region needs another 1,000 skilled workers.

A new initiative to attract skilled and qualified British people to apply for a New Zealand visa has been started by the regional development agency for northern New Zealand. The latest quarterly Department of Labour job market report showed that vacancies in Northland are up 4.6 per cent and Enterprise Northland estimates the region needs another 1,000 skilled workers.

"Northland, particularly Whangarei, is growing at such a rate that we need to look elsewhere to fill the need for workers who are already skilled and qualified," Jude Thompson, the economic development officer for the northern city of Whangarei, told the Northern Advocate newspaper.

Enterprise Northland is working to recruit skilled people from the United Kingdom who are eligible for a New Zealand visa and assist them with New Zealand immigration.

Their aim is to attract at least four per cent of the 50,000 skilled immigrants arriving in New Zealand each year. "There is a wave of people, particularly in northern England, that are very keen to relocate to New Zealand to give their children a better lifestyle," Ms Thompson said.

Specialist construction and marine manufacturing, hospitality, local authority planners, engineers, as well as trades such as plumbers, electricians and builders are all areas which have particular shortages.

New Zealand needs skilled workers: anyone interested in New Zealand immigration should complete the New Zealand Visa Bureau's online New Zealand visa assessment to see if they qualify for a New Zealand visa.