Looking for skilled workers

Press, 31 October 1981, Page 14

Looking for skilled workers

New Zealand needs more skilled workers now, partly because of increased activity in businesses and the construction industry, partly because higher wages and better opportunities elsewhere have lured away some of the country’s skilled workers. When unemployment is high, further educatrion and retraining of people out of work would appear to be the best way to provide the missing skills. Such training takes time. A modest relaxation in the country’s immigration policy is designed to fill the gap in the meantime. If New Zealanders want the jobs, and can perform them, they can take them now. People who start with a 12,000-mile handicap can hardly be ! regarded as queue-jumpers. The assertion by the Labour f spokesman on immigration, Mr E. E. Isbey, that the Government was opening “immigration floodgates,” is silly. Some controls on immigrants from Britain, West Germany and Switzerland are being eased as an experiment for six months. The countries have been chosen because they have vocational training systems compatible with training in New Zealand. Single people, or married couples without children, are being sought in such categories as computer programmers, systems analysts, toolmakers, diemakers, fitters, and electricians. People in these categories will be able to come to New Zealand without first having to find either a home or a job.

Those who fear that New Zealanders

with similar skills will, be denied jobs, or that immigrants under the new scheme may add to unemployment in New Zealand, are surely mistaken. Such immigrants will come to New Zealand at their own expense. They are likely to be attracted here by features in New Zealand other than this country’s pay scales. If they decide that they do not like the country, or if they cannot find work, they are likely to return home. If significant numbers come and tio not find work the scheme will be stopped.

If sufficient numbers of unemployed New Zealanders respond to opportunities for retraining, immigrants with particular skills will be discouraged or stopped from coming. New Zealand finds it hard to compete with employers in such countries as Australia for those New Zealanders who have skills that are in. international demand. This country still looks very attractive to some Europeans who have skills that are needed here urgently.

Under the new system, some European immigrants will be able to come and seek out employers once they are in New Zealand. At least for a time, this is a sensible system when the policy of matching particular prospective immigrants to particular vacancies in New Zealand is proving to be difficult. The country as a whole can only benefit from a small injection of people with scarce skills and few dependants.