14 January 2008

New Zealand IT shortage set to continue

The demand for IT professionals with New Zealand visas looks set to continue and employers are looking for skilled workers who are committed to New Zealand immigration, according to local recruiters.

Beyond Recruitment director Ben Pearson told the Dominion Post that the period leading up to Christmas was an unprecedented number of new IT job vacancies. He noted that a number of high-profile government projects are sustaining strong demand for skilled IT professionals. In particular, the Ministry of Health is currently implementing a national systems development programme to improve the health system's information sharing systems.

There are currently between 750 and 1,500 IT job vacancies in Wellington at any one time and from 2,750 to 3,500 jobs advertised nationally, according to Hudson IT general manager Campbell Hepburn.

Another recruiter, QualIT, is seeing strong demand for telecommunications sector IT workers, particularly from Telecom. General manager Craig Dewhurst noted that employers are starting to find permanent staff more attractive as rates increase in the contracting market.

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.