PRESS RELEASE
8 June 2005 - No embargo
German Government Job Expo Promises Help for NZ Skill Shortage
The International Placement Office of the German Federal Employment Service will hold an inaugural employment Expo to
bring together skilled German migrants with NZ and Australian employers who want to boost their workforce.
The Expo, which is promoted in New Zealand and Australia by Immigration Placement Services, will take place in Bonn and
Potsdam (near Berlin) on 5 and 7 September 2005.
The event caters for employers’ demands to meet applicants in Germany and is an extension of the agency’s international
service that has already filled a number of employment vacancies in New Zealand.
Like many other Western European economies, Germany is facing a surplus of skilled labour particularly in engineering,
construction, various industrial sectors and trades while New Zealand employers are battling a chronic skill shortage.
Bruce Goldsworthy, Manufacturing Division Manager of the Employers and Manufacturers Association (Northern) explains,
“Everybody knows that there is a wide skill shortage across all sectors. It affects many of our members in their ability
to expand and sometimes it’s even a constraint on production levels.”
He says that the association fully supports the initiative because migrant recruitment is often the only viable
solution for many employers and he understands that the cheme has already been of benefit to a number of member
companies.
The employment expo will be opened by the NZ ambassador to Germany and is intended to be an effective platform for
bringing together NZ employers, who cannot fill vacancies locally, and skilled Germans, who are looking for employment
in New Zealand.
Employers who attend the expo can expect a highly targeted audience and will come prepared to hold interviews on site.
Specific vacancies will be advertised throughout Germany in advance of the event.
For the German Employment Services this initiative is part of a big-picture approach. Funded through employee
contributions, it supports all Germans who look for employment opportunities, be it nationally or internationally.
The expo aims to be a one-stop-shop where potential migrants can find relevant information about working and living in
New Zealand. Presentations about work visa and permanent residence requirements will be supplemented with specific
seminars and trade display-type information from participating employers.
ends