employment

Australia looks to Pacific to fill staff gaps

The federal government has expanded the Pacific Australian Labour Mobility Scheme to include aged care, hospitality and tourism industries in a bid to address workforce shortfalls.

A Committee for Economic Development of Australia report says the country needs to find an extra 35,000 aged care workers per year.

In Western Australia's south, six Fijian aged care workers have filled some of the vacant, much-needed positions caring for the elderly.

The workers were the first to arrive under the expanded PALM scheme.

Employment prospects for Pasifika worsened during pandemic- study

New research from Auckland University of Technology's NZ Work Research Institute (NZWRI), showed the disparities were worse in particular for Pasifika women, those under 30 and people living in Auckland.

For example, pre-Covid-19 - for young (under 30 years of age) unemployed Pasifika women living in Auckland - there was no difference in their likelihood of moving into employment when compared to NZ European women.

But during Covid-19, there was a 5.5 percentage point drop in their likelihood of getting a job compared to NZ European women.

'Bleak picture' for Pacific workers and employers, says International Labour Organisation

Tens of thousands of Pacific workers have already either lost their jobs or were on reduced hours.

Elena Gerasimova, from the ILO's Pacific office, said the organisation received requests for support from workers, employers and small to medium businesses.

"There are lots of complications, problems and challenges for workers, employers and governments because there is a serious, very serious impact of the Covid-19 on their employment and on economies.

"Lots of companies are closed while many companies may become bankrupt and people are losing their jobs."

NZ RSE scheme boosting employment in the regions

Business expansion has boosted employment in regional areas, with RSE employers hiring more New Zealanders from the local community, including through Work and Income NZ.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) Pacifica Labour and Skills Manager, George Rarere says the 2019 survey highlights the positive impact of RSE workers on businesses and the local community.

“A stable seasonal workforce has meant more employers have been able to grow their business operations and put more investment into plant equipment and offer job opportunities to locals,” Mr Rarere says.

Finding skilled roles for Pacific graduates a priority for New Zealand’s MBIE

Senior Data Geologist (New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals) at MBIE Ian Dalla-Torre says the Geoscience Information team would commonly look for an intern to complete/assist with a specific piece of project work related to their geoscience information.

“Generally this would be a student from a New Zealand university however, in 2016 we received an inquiry regarding the possibility of hosting a PCF Summer Internship,” Ian explains.

T-levels: What are they?

Chancellor Philip Hammond has set out plans for them in the Budget.

He says these type of qualifications have not always been on an equal footing with academic ones - and wants that to change.

T-levels will allow 16 to 19-year-olds to study in 15 sectors in subjects like hair and beauty or construction.

The courses will replace thousands that are currently on offer and it's claimed they will make access to the job market easier.

Students in further education or technical college will also be eligible for maintenance loans.

Ten ways to reward your employees -- For free

  1. Ask each employee which half-day in their work week they would like to work from home. Assign each person their designated Work from Home day (half-day). As you get more comfortable with telecommuting, expand the half-day to a full day or more than one. Flexibility is one of the best rewards and ‘thank yous’ you can give your team!
  2. If some folks on your team don’t want to work from home, let them shift their working hours to suit their schedule. You can do this with everyone, as long as phones and other critical coverage issues are handled in advance.

Pacific employment at all-time high

The figures for the December 2015 quarter, released by Statistics New Zealand today, show the unemployment rate for Pacific people dropped over 2015 to 9.7 per cent, from 11.4 per cent a year earlier.

This is the lowest rate since December 2008, when the figure was 7.7 per cent.

The number of Pacific people in employment also increased over 2015 by 14,500 to 130,700. This is a 12.5 per cent increase and represents the highest number of Pacific people employed.