Skills shortages biting

[MotherBear]

New Zealand – skill shortages bite

The Department of Labour has surveyed skills shortages in New Zealand and discovered the country’s employers are crying out for skilled people.

How are skill shortages defined?
If, after around 8 weeks, less than 80 percent of advertised jobs are filled by a qualified person, the skill is classed as a shortage skill.

The Skills Situation
New Zealand’s skills shortages are growing more severe.

Fill rates for professional occupations are now just 45 percent while technician’s fill rates are 42 percent and trades people fill rates even worse at 36 percent. The situation is considerably worse than two years ago when professional and technician vacancies enjoyed fill rates of around 70 percent and trades vacancies were filled at 48 percent.

Particularly bad shortages (fill rates below 20 percent) have now been discovered for structural engineers, psychiatric nurses, civil engineering technicians, finance and sales associate professionals, architects, engineers and related professionals, coach builders, and electrical / electronic instrument mechanics / fitters.

The complete list of fill rates is as follows:

Job % of vacancies filled

Systems Analyst 67%
Computer Applications Engineer 78%
Systems Manager 46%
Resource Management Planner 28%
Structural Engineer 18%
Other Mechanical Engineer 28%
Physician 20%
Veterinarian 31%
Principal Nurse 58%
Registered Nurse 30%
Psychiatric Nurse 13%
Midwife 21%
University and Higher Education Lecturer and/or Tutor 48%
Secondary School Teacher 83%
Primary School Teacher 86%
Early Childhood Teacher 43%
Education Adviser 78%
Accountant 60%
Human Resources Officer 58%
Training and Development Officer 55%
Market Research Analyst 62%
Public Relations Officer 55%
Financial Adviser 28%
Barrister and Solicitor 45%
Librarian 69%
Policy Analyst 53%
Counsellor 62%
Physical Science Technician 63%
Quantity Surveyor 25%
Other Civil Engineering Technician 14%
Mechanical Engineering Technician 29%
Draughting Technician 31%
Computer Support Technician 84%
Medical Radiation Technologist 27%
Safety Inspector 53%
Physiotherapist 44%
Occupational Therapist 21%
Enrolled Nurse 21%
Travel Consultant 20%
Organisation and Methods Analyst 65%
Social Worker 52%
Teacher Aide 79%
Graphic Designer 25%
Sports Coach or Trainer 41%
Bricklayer and/or Blocklayer 42%
Carpenter and/or Joiner 34%
Builder (Including Contractor) 45%
Boatbuilder 39%
Plasterer 45%
Glazier 30%
Plumber 29%
Painter, Decorator and/or Paperhanger 53%
Spray Painter 60%
Sign Writer 41%
Electrician 30%
Transport Electrician 29%
Coach Builder 18%
Sheet-Metal Worker 23%
Fitter and Welder 44%
Panel Beater 30%
Fitter and Turner 27%
Machinery Mechanic 21%
Motor Mechanic 43%
Heating, Ventilation and Refrigeration Mechanic 48%
Printing Machinist 61%
Butcher 62%
Baker 37%
Cabinet Maker 40%
Carpet and Other Floor Covering Layer 22%
Computing Professionals 66%
Architects, Engineers and Related Professionals 16%
Life Science Professionals 74%
Health Professionals (except Nursing) 45%
Nursing and Midwifery Professionals 29%
Tertiary Teaching Professionals 48%
Secondary Teaching Professionals 83%
Primary and Early Childhood Teaching Professionals 86%
Special Education Teaching Professionals 67%
Other Teaching Professionals 74%
Business Professionals 54%
Legal Professionals 47%
Archivists, Librarians and Related 70%
Social and Related Science Professionals 57%
Physical Science and Engineering Technicians 45%
Computer Equipment Controllers 56%
Optical and Electronic Equipment Controllers 51%
Safety and Health Inspectors 42%
Life Science Technicians and Related Workers 81%
Health Associate Professionals 50%
Nursing Associate Professionals 21%
Finance and Sales Associate Professionals 14%
Administrative Associate Professionals 55%
Social Work Associate Professionals 70%
Writers, Artists, Entertainment and Sports Associate
Professionals 34%
Building Frame and Related Trades Workers 41%
Building Finishers and Related Trades Workers 46%
Electricians 34%
Metal Moulders, Sheet-Metal and Related Workers 33%
Blacksmiths, Toolmakers and Related Workers 22%
Machinery Mechanics and Fitters 34%
Electrical and Electronic Instrument Mechanics and
Fitters 13%
Printing Trades Workers 48%
Food and Related Products Processing Trades Workers 48%
Cabinet Makers and Related Workers 40%
Tailors and Dressmakers 26%

Well, Taffy, you did say on another thread that long posts weren't a problem   ;D .

[Nicola]

Hello Mother Bear
Thanks for the post, it helped me a lot.....So, does this mean that if I want to become an Occupational Therapist I would have great chances in finding work?

[MotherBear]

Quite possibly there are such jobs up for grabs, Nicola, but do you have any training? I would assume they are looking for qualified personnel.

[macfod]

quite fancy being a butcher or a carpet layer..

still nothing showing for me though...so maybe some training and dogy references ::)

[MotherBear]

My, what an unusual combination. New Zealand's first carpet laying butcher! Good luck on that one.

[macfod]

Yes, Mother bear I though that.
Well, we are off to Nz next year and come hell or high water we are determined to get jobs.

Meantime, Dubai and diving in Oman over xmas looms every closer.

:icon_biggrin:

[Nicola]

Thank you for the reply, Mother Bear.
I would imagine that prospective employers are looking for candidates with relevant training and this brings me back to my dilema: what should I study so that my chances of finding work after finishing my studies will be as good as possible? I've been thinking a lot about social work, hospitality or occupational therapist. I'm doing research at the moment, testing the job market (reading newspapers on the net) and trying to collect as much info as possible before I decide.... It will be difficult to find a job, I don't doubt that but I have to start somewhere, don't I?

[MotherBear]

It might be an idea to draw up a list of the type of jobs you?d be interested in doing. Maybe some of them don?t require training. Macfod and his good lady are just going to NZ in the hope of finding jobs once they are down there. It is a difficult thing to do, especially if you don?t have any particular skills, but you might find something you are interested in. If you do want to train in NZ, you would have to try to find out what courses are on offer and select one you?d be interested in. I assume there would be formalities to go through before you could enroll at a college e.g. a student's permit, but I?m not sure what these are.

[moggy]

I am surprised that telecoms engineers aren't on those list, that is what hubbie will be looking for when we get there. I shouldn't have too much problem myself being in IT

[selchie]

Maybe if my OH can get her "precious foods" market going, she can hire Mcfod as her butcher. Too bad I tend to tear up carpet rather than lay it, or
I could use him in fixing up houses.