OMEGA defines skilled immigrants as individuals who have moved to New Zealand with international degree equivalent qualifications, and/or work experience. Back to Top

The level of skilled immigration into New Zealand is set by the New Zealand Government to address skill shortages experienced by almost 40% of New Zealand companies.

International economists predict a demographic fault-line by 2025 with a decline in the global labour and skills supply.  International demand will exceed supply and the skilled baby boomer generation will exit the workforce.   As New Zealand’s economic mainstay, Auckland needs to be prepare for skills shortages.  One way is to attract trained and experienced professionals from other countries.  

Also, a recent Department of Labour study showed that immigrants contributed 68% more in taxes than they received in benefits compared to 13% for people born in New Zealand. Immigration had a positive net fiscal impact of $3.3 billion in 2005/06 (NZ–born population $2.8 billion).

The diversity immigration brings helps to lift innovation and productivity. Over the last decade, in the United States more than half of Silicon Valley start-ups employing 450,000 people with sales of $52 billion in 2005were founded by immigrants.

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The work of OMEGA is needed, because it is helping Auckland prepare for the future and respond to existing labour market shortfalls.  The barriers that skilled immigrants face when trying to enter our job market are systemic in nature and therefore OMEGA is facilitating a system-wide business led response to the predicted forthcoming skill shortage. This response involves all stakeholders and all levels of government working together on the issue, but it does have a particular emphasis on corporate businesses as key change agents regarding how and who we employ as a country. OMEGA and its network of partners understand that real economic success will be achieved by our collective actions to attract and enable skilled immigrants to fully utilise their skills in the New Zealand workplace.  Within this broader systemic mobilisation, OMEGA provides Auckland business professionals and organisations with an opportunity to individually play their part and make a difference in the short and long term.

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At present, OMEGA’s programmes are Auckland based. The majority of immigrants who come to New Zealand, come to Auckland, and so the current focus is to ensure that OMEGA delivers a successful model here before expanding throughout the country. However, the majority of OMEGA’s funding partners are national organisations, so the plan is to see the programmes do the same. Already other cities are benefiting from the efforts of Auckland-based mentors, as through their help, immigrants have found employment in Whangarei, Hamilton, Tauranga and Wellington.

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OMEGA fully supports the practice of mentors providing references for their mentees, where they are comfortable to do so.  As the mentor has probably never worked directly with the mentee, it is advised that mentors should present a clear picture of the nature of the relationship, stating how long they have known the individual, what behaviours they have observed during that period of time, the mentee’s level of proactivity, organisational skills, aptitude for learning, and willingness to accept feedback.

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Responses from OMEGA’s programme participants indicate that the main barriers that skilled immigrants face are:

• A lack of New Zealand work experience;
• A lack of professional networks and social capital;
• A lack of information regarding the specific industry they are skilled in and how it works in New Zealand;
• A lack of recognition of international qualifications and/or the opportunities to upgrade these;
• Insufficient understanding of how to navigate the New Zealand employment process;
• The challenging requirement for specialists to adapt to more generalist work roles;
• A lack of New Zealand specific English terminology; and
• A lack  of confidence in a new environment.

Most skilled immigrant work seekers have a positive 'can do' attitude.  What they lack is the 'know how' pertinent to this context.

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Diversity of culture and its interface with workplace productivity is perhaps best explained by international economist Phillipe Legrain:   "Most innovations nowadays come not from individuals, but from groups of talented people sparking off each other – and foreigners with different ideas, perspectives and experiences add something extra to the mix. If there are ten people sitting around a table trying to come up with a solution to a problem and they all think alike, then they are no better than one . But if they all think differently and bounce new ideas and reactions off one another, they can solve problems better and faster."

Diversity of culture brings innovation, vibrancy, a global-orientation and productivity. Back to Top

Immigration policies dictate that Kiwi workers have precedence over immigrant workers.  However, figures show that we do not have the number of skilled workers we require in New Zealand, and neither are returning Kiwis plugging all the gaps.  Also, whilst many skilled Kiwis may be returning to New Zealand, many are also leaving.  In spite of all the coming and going, the reality is, that nearly 40% of New Zealand businesses are currently skill short.  Given this shortage, OMEGA believes it is more important and strategic for the future of our country, to protect and support Kiwi businesses as they generate Kiwi jobs, rather than focusing on whether or not job applicants are considered Kiwi.  What this means is supporting organisations to employ the right skills to grow their business, rather than focusing on the particular nationality of the person who has those skills.

A further point worth knowing, is that Auckland already is home to foreign talent with more than one in three residents born offshore. Immigrant talent is here and committed. However we are yet to effectively tap into the skills these Aucklanders offer, as “nearly 50% of all skilled migrants to New Zealand are inactive, unemployed or confined to jobs for which they are over-qualified” (OECD, International Migration Outlook, 2007). Getting people into relevant jobs is both an instant lift to productivity, and opens up jobs for other semi-skilled people.

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Skilled immigrants face unique barriers to employment that Kiwis do not. OMEGA is working to remove these barriers so that skilled immigrants can compete fairly when entering the labour market. Giving people accurate information and the tools to remove these barriers helps us all benefit from the skills they bring. OMEGA also believes that is our collective responsibility as a nation to ensure that the promise made when attracting skilled immigrants to our shores is kept.

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OMEGA believes that the responsibility lies with all of us, and that an immediate response is needed. A collective and timely effort from all of us will ensure that the New Zealand economy future proofs itself against a diminishing workforce that will culminate in the demographic fault line in 2025. We cannot think that in the future we will be able to turn on an ‘immigration tap’, and expect immediate success in attracting internationally skilled professionals to our economy. Over and above individual organisations, it will be cities competing for talent, and therefore our collective ability will define how Auckland can compete against Sydney, Melbourne, Vancouver and others for talent.

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Hiring staff is a big decision. There are a number of reasons why new immigrants might experience difficulties. Below are some barriers to employment:

• lack of understanding of the international qualifications 
• preference towards local experience
• concerns about language proficiency
• concerns about cultural fit
• the hiring process
• prior negative experiences

OMEGA is available to assist employers with these concerns.  

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Labour and Immigration Research Centre

Knowledge Auckland

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