Calling all KIWI Architects!

Calling all KIWI Architects!

Skilled and experienced Architects are needed in New Zealand as the commercial rebuild in Christchurch is expected to be in full swing in 6 to 12 months, says recruiting experts Hays Architecture in New Zealand.

The New Zealand economy is bouncing back from the earthquakes that shook the country’s second city of Christchurch and the surrounding Canterbury region in 2010-11.

According to the recruiter, vacancy activity is expected to increase in temporary and permanent architecture jobs as the market faces a shortage of skilled technicians who can hit the ground running.
Senior Architects. Architectural Technicians and Licensed Building Practitioners (Design 1 and 2) are in particular demand.

“There is a quick turnover in the industry and when a good candidate matching one of the categories above is on the market, he or she can usually find a job within a week,” says Jason Walker, Managing Director of Hays in New Zealand.

There is also demand for overseas candidates. “Qualified migrants with good learning skills and long-term plans to stay in New Zealand are a good alternative as they can be trained and are likely to be loyal to the company giving them their first opportunity in the country.

“We are also seeing an increasing number of returning Kiwis from Australia or the UK. These candidates are highly valued by employers as they have had exposure to bigger projects, are experienced working with bigger teams and can add more value. In addition, they have existing knowledge of the Kiwi way and building codes/processes.

“Given that New Zealand is in a phase of full growth, returning home is often an easy transition for Kiwis to make, especially those wanting to provide for a young family,” says Jason

“The commercial rebuild in Christchurch is going to be in full swing in about 6 to 12 months, which means that the demand for skilled technicians and Licensed Building Practitioners is going to increase exponentially.

“We also expect to see plenty of candidate movement as those working in the residential market will want to get into the commercial market, where salaries are higher and there are more interesting projects. However, this movement will still not be able to match the need for skilled candidates.”

According to the latest Hays Quarterly Hotspots list of jobs in demand, the following professionals are sought by employers in New Zealand’s architecture sector this quarter:

• Senior Architects – Senior Architects are currently in demand due to an increase in project work. The New Zealand market is gaining traction in both the residential and commercial sectors and good quality candidates experienced with Revit software and the local NZ building code are sought.

• Architectural Technicians – Technicians with experience in producing working drawings and documentation for building consents are in demand. Availability of candidates is low as many sought alternative employment due to the lack of available opportunities over the past 3 to 4 years. Also, due to recent changes in New Zealand building codes, retraining is necessary for those re-entering the sector. Senior technicians are required to work on a range of residential and commercial projects; these range from residential and commercial refurbishments through to new build design and regeneration schemes.

• Licensed Building Practitioners (Design 1 and 2) – A LBP can sign off work and are a more affordable option than a registered Architect. Challenging to find, most are either employed or self-employed candidates and show limited interest in in-house opportunities. Design and build companies (residential) are reducing costs by bringing back their design in-house, increasing the need for an LBP to sign off work.

• Architectural Graduates – There is a lack of graduates entering the employment market as many have headed overseas.

Visit our website to see our current jobs in Architecture.

Hays, the world’s leading recruiting experts in qualified, professional and skilled people.

About Hays
Hays is the leading global specialist recruiting group. We are the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in Asia Pacific and the UK and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe and Latin America. We operate across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments.

As at 30 June 2013 we employed 7,840 staff operating from 239 offices in 33 countries across 20 specialisms. For the year ended 30 June 2013, Hays reported net fees of £719 million and operating profit (pre-exceptional items) of £125.5 million. Hays placed around 53,000 candidates into permanent jobs and around 182,000 people into temporary assignments. 29% of Group net fees were generated in Asia Pacific.

Hays operates in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Chile, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, the UK and the USA.

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