RSE scheme better for business and New Zealand workers

16 AUGUST 2018

The tenth annual survey of RSE employers is another win for the New Zealand horticulture and viticulture industries – and New Zealanders.

The latest employers’ survey found that nearly nine in 10 employers had employed more New Zealanders - in addition to RSE workers. On average each of those employers has been able to hire five additional permanent workers, and 20 seasonal workers as a result of their participation in the scheme.

RSE National Manager, Matt Hoskin says that employers continue to rate the performance of their workers very highly under the RSE scheme.

“It is great to see a more stable, seasonal workforce through the RSE scheme. Overall, it is providing better services for businesses as well as creating more productive workers and more employment opportunities for New Zealanders.”

“RSE is an industry led programme. The industry sees RSE as delivering increased productivity, improved quality and added value to horticulture and viticulture products”, says Mr Hoskin.

The New Zealand horticulture and viticulture industries require high volumes of employees for seasonal work every year. The industry is the fourth largest export industry in New Zealand and aims to increase exports to $10 billion by 2020.

The Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme addresses a long-standing labour supply problem for horticulture and viticulture businesses, by enabling workers primarily from the Pacific to enter New Zealand’s horticulture and viticulture labour market on a temporary, seasonal basis each year.

RSE Monitoring: 2018 Employers Survey Working Report is available here

Note to Editors:

• The RSE policy allows the horticulture and viticulture industries to recruit overseas workers – mostly from the Pacific Islands – for seasonal work.

• There is an administrative limit or cap on the number of RSE places that can be taken up in any one year. This cap was set at 5,000 places when the scheme was established in 2007, but the success of RSE has led to increased demand from employers and the cap was increased to 8,000 places in 2009, 9,000 in November 2014, 9,500 in December 2015, 10,500 in December 2016 and 11,100 in December 2017.

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