Perhaps This Will Help!

Raeven · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 1:20 am Post subject: Perhaps This Will Help!

No real news here, but interesting it's such a topic of conversation in NZ:

Immigration key to sorting skills shortages
15 July 2004

Finance Minister Michael Cullen today conceded the Government needed to sort out New Zealand's immigration policies to address severe skills shortages.

Dr Cullen told a breakfast meeting of business people in Hamilton that the Government had made some recent changes to immigration policies as a result of an "unsustainable" number of immigrants arriving.

However, that had resulted in fewer people coming and the Government did not meet its targets.

"It emphasises how volatile immigration is," he said.

Now the Government would look to a more "aggressive recruitment drive" overseas, much like the 1950s and 1960s, when many middle-level skilled workers came from Britain to trades such as engineering and fitting and turning.

"We've got a big job to do (addressing skill shortages) and migration is going to be a big part of that," he said.

The country needed to build a more productive and higher-skilled workforce to keep the economy growing, Dr Cullen said.

The economy has been booming, with Gross Domestic Product growth of 2.3 percent for the March quarter, the highest result in 18 quarters, but most forecasters are expecting a slowdown in the upcoming year.

"We are, if you like sprinting, and surprising ourselves at how long we have sustained that sprint, but we know we are not in the right shape for a long distance event," he said.

"If we continue at this pace we know we will run out of puff sooner or later."

Building a more productive workforce was one way of sustaining a strong growth rate over a long period.

"Unfortunately, the concept of productivity has had a bad press in some sectors. It smacks of teams with consultants with clip-boards and stopwatches."

Dr Cullen said New Zealand had low levels of productivity and capital per unit of labour compared to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The level of overall skills in the workforce needed to increase, as did the level of investment in New Zealand businesses.

"The objectives go together. The availability of a skilled workforce means that businesses can invest in capital equipment knowing that it will be well utilised."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2972931a10,00.html

Rae

Timbo · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 1:30 am Post subject:

I think immigration is the topic out there at the mo. Just about every NZ contact I have has e-mailed me within the last week or so to tell me that they are looking to allow a further 50k in.
This has to be good news for us lot.

Tefal · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 5:11 am Post subject:

WOW - 50 000?!?!!!!

rodders · Valued Member Joined: 25 Nov 2003 Posts: 134

50k sounds good but thats total people. it includes family members. so the number of approvals will be a lot less than 50k.