The horticulture industry has highlighted, in March this year, the true extent of the skill shortages as a result of New Zealand's continued closed borders. The industry has seen a $100 million drop in apple exports due to a shortage of workers. While the government did grant exemptions for 2,000 recognised seasonal employer (RSE) workers, attempts to lure Kiwis into the industry have come up short and, as a result, fruit is being left on the trees. This issue is also starting to bite in the broader economy, particularly for organisations that were relatively unaffected by the lockdowns and are now finding skill shortages are actually impacting on their ability to grow or meet demand. Of note, are roles such as engineers, trade staff, regulatory, planning and the IT sector. Demand for specific qualified and quality employees is increasing and while an employer may be trying to recruit someone on the long-term skills shortage list, unless they are lucky enough to be working on one of the government-approved infrastructure projects or one of the government-approved events or programmes, the border remains shut with no options to get critical skills into the country.
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