A day after defending its decision to pay skilled migrant workers less than the new median wage, the Government of New Zealand has announced new programmes for Pacific labourers in two key sectors.
Immigration Minister Michael Wood announced on Sunday new measures to relieve workplace shortages in the meat and seafood processing sectors.
The Pacific Programmes 2024 will allow an extra 12,000 people to work in New Zealand to help businesses hardest-hit by the global worker shortage.
Wood said the agreements will also allow more workers from the aged care sector, construction and tourism.
“The meat and seafood processing sectors were identified as suitable for Pacific programmes given the pre-existing recruitment relationships that already exist, their alignment with circular migration, and the benefits skills and experience in these areas would present to the Pacific”, said Phil Twyford, minister of state for trade and export growth.