3000th new migrant completes the New Kiwi Career Success programme

This week marked an important milestone for the New Kiwi Career Success programme run by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and funded by the Ministry of Social Development, with Mariel Angulo becoming the 3000th participant to complete the New Zealand job search strategy programme.

Mariel Angulo arrived in New Zealand in August this year from Mexico.

The New Kiwi Career Success Programme aims to assist migrants on a work permit, who have been in New Zealand for less than two years, and who are looking for information and advice about gaining employment in New Zealand.

Candidates complete an initial two and a half day course, following which they can opt in to one-on-one support sessions as well as a number of optional half-day follow-up workshops. CVs are updated, networking, job searching and interviewing skills are honed and the New Zealand work culture demystified.

Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Barnett is very pleased with the outcomes of the New Kiwi Career Success programme and the diversity of those attending the course. “The New Kiwis initiative was established eight years ago as a joint venture with the Ministry of Social Development.  An average of 80 per cent of actively job-seeking participants transition into employment in the period we monitor – the vast majority within three months of completing the initial course,” he said.

Auckland Chamber of Commerce employment division manager Penny Smith said that up to 80 per cent of jobs are not necessarily advertised in conventional ways. We are a nation of people who network their way into jobs. It is reflected in how we do business; the size of the business and the importance of a personal recommendation. By completing the programme through the Chamber, participants benefit from the strength and trustworthiness of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce brand.

“Becoming employed is critical to the migrant’s decision to remain here and receiving the right information, support and connections early on is vital if the newly arrived migrant is to transition into employment quickly and settle well,” she said.

Vikramjit Singh Sudhu, completed the programme in March this year and said the course gave him employment success as a Continuous Improvement Coach within two months of arriving in New Zealand.
“Attending that workshop was the turning point in my job search. Interacting with other participants in the workshop I learnt that I was not the only one experiencing cluelessness. This was reassuring.

“The workshop also introduced a lot of ideas that were contrary to what I had been doing till that time. The workshop was very nicely paced in that there was a lot of extremely valuable material provided to us to help in our job hunt but it was never overwhelming. Even during the workshop I felt if I could apply even half of what I was learning here, I could significantly improve my chances of landing a job,” he said.  

Auckland Chamber of Commerce has delivered the ‘New Kiwi Career Success’ initiative 203 times, to more than 3000 participants.  The Chamber also provides an online version of the New Kiwi Career Success programme through the website www.newkiwis.co.nz . The website aims to reach those currently under-employed, not in Auckland and off-shore job seekers who are interested in coming to New Zealand and is also well-utilised.

The Ministry of Social Development funding for the Migrant Employment Assistance programme enables the Auckland Chamber of Commerce to deliver this valuable service.