Definition of: shortage of 'skilled' workers

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heavenlywild

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#20076 12-Mar-2008 15:58

You keep reading and hearing about it. What skills is the country lacking exactly?

Sure, we don't have enough skilled IT professionals in this country, as well as teachers and doctors. Apart from these obvious ones, what else?

On a similar note: My friend who has an IT-related degree with a couple of years experience cannot find an IT job to go to, no matter what level of job he applies for. Companies looking to employ experienced staff need to realise if they don't hire "newbies", the new generation would never be experienced without being given a chance.

Anyway, I would like to see where this thread leads to:)

sbiddle

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#116170 12-Mar-2008 18:35

Well here's our Immigration Dept's list of "skilled people" that we want in NZ

weblordpepe

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#116175 12-Mar-2008 19:13

They derk our Jerbs!!

alasta

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#116176 12-Mar-2008 19:16

In many cases I suspect that 'skills shortage' means that the skilled workers are not willing to work for the pittance that employers are offering.

There is a significant shortage of skills in Australia at the moment and as a result many skilled New Zealanders are going over there to earn better money, hence creating a skills shortage of our own. It's just a flow-on effect.

Dratsab

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#116180 12-Mar-2008 19:46

heavenly_wild: Companies looking to employ experienced staff need to realise if they don't hire "newbies", the new generation would never be experienced without being given a chance.

But this is not, by a long stretch of the imagination, anything new.

One problem seems to be that one hand the immigration department advertises for people with particular skills to come to New Zealand and get fast tracked into being allowed to work/stay. On the other hand, many institutions are (ie medical/legal/financial) simply refuse to recognise qualifications from other countries.

And instead of applying a fast track scheme to get these people "qualified" (based on entry-level exams) to a New Zealand standard, they are told they have to go through a full qualification scheme. In some cases that can be a number of years!

One result is you end up with "doctors", "lawyers" and "accountants" driving taxis... Actually, there's probably far too many lawyers in this country already.

weblordpepe

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#116229 12-Mar-2008 22:27

Yeah if I had a dollar for every time I saw an extremely high qualified asian doing some monotonous task, I'd have enough to buy a BK whopper and upsize it.

heavenlywild

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#116266 13-Mar-2008 08:32

Dratsab:
heavenly_wild: Companies looking to employ experienced staff need to realise if they don't hire "newbies", the new generation would never be experienced without being given a chance.

But this is not, by a long stretch of the imagination, anything new.

One problem seems to be that one hand the immigration department advertises for people with particular skills to come to New Zealand and get fast tracked into being allowed to work/stay. On the other hand, many institutions are (ie medical/legal/financial) simply refuse to recognise qualifications from other countries.

And instead of applying a fast track scheme to get these people "qualified" (based on entry-level exams) to a New Zealand standard, they are told they have to go through a full qualification scheme. In some cases that can be a number of years!

One result is you end up with "doctors", "lawyers" and "accountants" driving taxis... Actually, there's probably far too many lawyers in this country already.

Great responses guys! Interesting discussion.

Sbiddle - cheers for sharing the link. What a shame, what I am doing currently isn't on the shortage list! I better stay in my job, haha.

Dratsab - yes, I cannot agree wth you more. Instead of fast-tracking qualified professionals from overseas, NZ requires them to re-do much of what they know already. For doctors, electricians, etc, why not set up a programme to ensure their English skills are up to scratch? Doctors turning into taxi drivers, teachers working in takeaway shops... honestly, what a waste!

In terms of pay, I believe many people would give up higher pay overseas for the sake of the NZ lifestyle. I work in the health industry and I have met a few English people telling me they earn 40-50% less here but are quite happy for the sake of living here.

Time for the government to stop handing out free English education to migrants over the age of 60 (or whatever appropriate age) who are retired and are only going to classes for the sake of getting their benefits. Give free English education to those who need it to benefit the country by filling in the "gaps" in the workforce.

PS - I am a migrant myself, so the paragraph above comes without discrminiation! It is fact as I have seen such people playing the system, so-to-speak.

Radiotron

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#116706 14-Mar-2008 21:21

There are no gaps in the workforce, it is really about paying a liveable salary for a set of proven skills, those with the skills cannot actually live on salary offered, so leave the country, or go find something else to do. And employers make do with whoever comes along next, because the salary paid is so lousy that they can live with the damage to performance and reputation of their business.... Yes, cynical, but go and try finding a well trained technician with good component-level faultfinding skill in electronics.