An accolade to the NZ Immigration Service, which is about to take the next step in a very positive initiative to attract people with ICT skills to New Zealand.
CeBit, the world’s largest ICT trade show, will be held in Hanover early in March. For the second year, the Immigration Service and New Zealand recruitment firm Hudson, are joining with NZ Trade and Enterprise to use part of the New Zealand pavilion as a means to promote New Zealand as a great destination for European ICT professionals.
A specific move will be made to capture the interest of young German graduates who are seeking places to go on working holidays after finishing university. Hamburg and Cologne universities will be bussing 1000 IT graduates to the show where the NZ Immigration Service, along with Hudson, will give a series of presentations on the virtues of this country as a great place for a working holiday both professionally and socially.
German graduates generally have to complete an internship before leaving university, so they already have work experience and would be very valuable to many New Zealand IT companies and users.
TUANZ members are increasingly constrained by the skills shortage. Late last year our one day “Skills” event demonstrated the scale of the problem when over 70 very senior people from among our membership converged to debate the issue.
I will be spending a couple of days supporting this initiative on the New Zealand stand in Hanover 5/6 March. Members wanting to link into the project or express support can contact Campbell Hepburn at Hudson in Wellington - campbell.hepburn@hudson.com