Engaging Aotearoa’s future workforce key to slowing the ‘brain drain’

By Mark Gillard, New Zealand Careers Expo Director

The four-year pathway to dual citizenship for Kiwis, paired with declining numbers of domestic university students, is fuelling concerns of New Zealand's brain drain intensifying.

The 17,300 New Zealanders leaving the country in the year ending September 2022, with nearly 9,000 of them crossing the ditch to Australia, indicates that this shift has begun.

This is not surprising. The pandemic has put overseas travel on hold, disrupted education, and led to increased mental health struggles for New Zealand youth. As a result, it’s understandable that more young people are feeling the pent-up urge to jet off overseas.

With rising inflation and the cost of living, groceries, and fuel skyrocketing, being the home of the All Blacks, the Pavlova, and the Lamington, isn’t enough of a reason for young people to stay.

To slow down the ‘brain drain’ long term, our employers, education providers, and industry leaders need to act swiftly. Now is the time to show young Kiwis, the workforce of tomorrow, their potential to flourish in a meaningful career on New Zealand soil.

The NZ Careers Expo (NZCE) is the longest-standing careers expo in the country. It provides organisations with the opportunity to connect directly with tomorrow’s workforce and provide career guidance to young people planning their transition from school to the workforce.

Mark Gillard, Director of the NZCE, says that proactively promoting career pathways to youth is essential for organisations to futureproof their workforce.

"Targeting school leavers is a smart move for organisations as it allows them to tap into a pool of fresh talent, bringing new perspectives and ideas to the workforce.

"By building relationships with school leavers early, organisations can establish a pipeline for future talent and secure their workforce for years to come."

The consequences of failing to attract and retain young people could be dire. An increased skills shortage looms as more skilled people are leaving the country than entering, which would cause inflation to stay higher for longer as organisations struggle to find the necessary talent.

In turn, this could lead to employee burnout, as businesses are unable to fill important roles, and existing staff are stretched too thin. It is essential that employers, education providers, and industry leaders act now to show young Kiwis the benefits of staying in New Zealand and building their careers here.

Organisations must target school leavers because they are at a critical point in their lives where they are making decisions about their future careers. By reaching out to them early, organisations can show young people the potential career paths available to them and the benefits of staying in New Zealand.

However, the transition from secondary school to the ‘real world’ is often more overwhelming than exciting for many school leavers. In 2022 research by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), 48 per cent of learners stated that a “lack of confidence was a barrier to doing what they wanted when leaving school.”

Additionally, the research showed that first-hand experiences like expos and open days are good for confidence building. They reduce the unfamiliarity of a pathway, feelings of not being capable, and the intensity of the switch from school to their next step.

Former attendees have credited the NZ Careers Expo with giving them the chance to explore different careers and connecting them with employers who have helped shape their future.

One such attendee, who is now in the Navy, shared their experience of exhibiting at the Expo:

"It was such a rewarding experience being given the chance to share my naval knowledge and story with students who were in the same shoes I was in nine years ago."

New Zealand organisations have an exciting opportunity to put a friendly face to their career path or industry and tell school leavers that a real ‘grown-up job’ isn’t as scary as it seems.

The NZ Careers Expo is celebrating 30 years of experience, with over 35,000+ young people passing through their doors every year.

The 2023 events will take place across seven venues in Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin throughout May and June.