An EO in New Zealand: inciting Kiwis to work in Queenstown

They have decided to bring the mountain to Muhammed.

Hoping to attract Kiwis to Queenstown to work, even if only for a few weeks at a time, notable Labor bosses Blair McNaughton and Ed Stott have launched “Kiwi OE,” which offers willing workers guaranteed jobs and accommodation. hoping that ‘I’ll stay.

Under the new scheme, those who are ready, willing and able can register on the Kiwi OE website, choose a package (two to six weeks) and start packing their bags.

They will be met at the Queenstown airport, taken to their pre-booked accommodation, paired with their employer and assigned to work.

If they don’t like the job, another can be found for them and at the end of their tenure they can go back to their roots or hopefully decide to leave something behind in Wakatipu.

The pair are endorsed by City Hall, Destination Queenstown and Lake Wanaka Tourism and the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce.

McNaughton says that if it is successful here, they will look to implement it in other areas, such as Nelson and Hawke’s Bay, and possibly point it to the Ministry of Social Development for future support.

“It’s in its infancy, but I suppose Queenstown is kind of a testing ground for it … once the borders with Australia open, we could look [there] and bringing Australians to Queenstown and other parts of New Zealand, be it for a winter experience or whatever. “

Although the package has a cost for employees, ranging from $ 889 for two weeks to $ 1959 for six weeks, in addition to flights, the balance can be reimbursed through a schedule of their wages.

And, says McNaughton, if an employer can only offer 20 hours a week, a worker through the scheme can get another part-time job and not be affected by secondary taxes.

Stott says they have moved quickly into the new company to try to ease some of the pressure from companies here, in hospitality and lodging, for example, before the Christmas and New Year rush.

“It’s a worrying time for them – they need to increase their staffing by 30 percent, but what do they do on the other side of that, in mid-January, when things get back to where they are now?

“By going through us, they can climb up and down as much as they need to, we can take that worry away from them.”

McNaughton expects the first workers through the scheme to arrive here next month; ideally, they want to bring in 100 people each month and create an advance “order” system for clients seeking workers.

Stott says it has been structured to help fill labor shortage gaps, but also to boost other aspects of the local economy.

McNaughton says, “No one is going to solve this problem quickly.

“We can sit here and moan … or we can try to find a solution ourselves.

“It might not work, hopefully it will, but at least we’ve tried.”