The government's new green list will enable NZ tech employers to compete internationally for talent with confidence, he says
Graeme Muller, NZTech chief executive, said the tech sector is pleased to see the government moving faster on reopening the borders as critical skills shortages continue to challenge many organisations across almost all sectors of the economy.
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With companies gearing up to make the most of recent border exceptions for tech worker pathways, one challenge has been showing prospective candidates that residency is an option for them and their families.
“With the roles in the border exception process now identified on the government’s new green list from July, New Zealand tech employers are able to compete internationally for talent with confidence,” Muller said. “The end result will mean a faster rise in the New Zealand economy and will help the Kiwi tech sector continue to soar. Experienced software engineers, ICT security specialists, multimedia specialists, and a variety of ICT management roles were identified through several NZTech surveys over the past year as suffering from critical shortages.”
All these roles getting included on the government’s new green list means a simplified application process, with applicants will be fast-tracked to residency pathways.
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“These roles all earn well in excess of the twice median wage criteria and our research shows that for every new tech role that enters a community, it stimulates or supports the creation of 4.8 other jobs around it,” Muller said. “Before COVID, about 3,500 to 4,500 new high-paid tech roles were filled by immigration each year, and these people live throughout New Zealand supporting local economic growth across the country.”
Muller said the government move brings much-needed certainty for the tech sector.
NZTech has longed fought for the border reopening for overseas tech workers, as NZTech members pointed to immigration issues as what caused their economic growth to stall.
With more than 20,000 tech firms in New Zealand plus rapid digitisation of other firms, the demand for digital skills has hugely outstripped supply, with vacancies throughout the country, NZTech said.
