New Zealand employers seek experienced Irish workers

New Zealand employers will be in Dublin once again tomorrow hoping to snap up Irish workers who are willing to migrate themselves and their families down under.

The country has a significant skills shortage in engineering, construction, healthcare, and in electricity generation and distribution, not least due to the earthquake which decimated large parts of Christchurch.

There are about 36,000 job vacancies in that city alone.

Therefore the organisers of the New Zealand Jobs and Seminars Tour, which takes place in the Hilton Hotel in Dublin, say employers will be looking to meet, interview, and hire skilled Irish professionals. They are not looking for young people who are simply taking a year out, but experienced people in their 20s or 30s, possibly with families, who are willing to relocate for a longer period. It is the third time employers have travelled to Ireland in eight months.

Hayley Roberts, the co-founder and director of Working In, which has organised the jobs fair, said: “New Zealand employers like Irish workers and have been very impressed with the skill base of those they have interviewed and employed to date.

“The Irish that we have presented to over the last two expos have reacted in kind. They see New Zealand as a land with opportunities. In the 12 months up until Jul 2011, 111 Irish people moved to Christchurch on skilled work visas. This doubled to 223 for the same 12 month period up to Jul 2012 and for the nine months up to Apr 2013, 373 Irish people had relocated on skilled work visas to Christchurch.”

She said that among the employers is Naylor Love, one of New Zealand’s leading commercial construction contractors which is at the forefront of the Christchurch rebuild. Others include Top Energy which, she said, is on the look out for as many line mechanics as possible.

The event will also feature representatives from estate agent Bayleys, and also Migration Planners with information on career opportunities, visa requirements, and lifestyle information.

The expo runs from 1pm-7pm. For further information visit www.workingin-events.com.