An expo designed to help migrants find work in Southland is being held on Wednesday 18 November.
The Expo, organised by Great South and hosted by the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT), will feature a day of seminars, including the latest from Immigration New Zealand. Stallholders representing education, employer and community organisations will also be present.
Great South business services general manager Ben Lewis said it was a timely opportunity, especially for those about to complete their studies at SIT and for those who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19.
“Many students will likely be finishing up and thinking, what next? This might give them a direction forward,” Mr Lewis said.
The expo was organised as part of Great South’s Skills Placement Programme, aimed to connect skilled migrants with employment in the region.
“We’ve noticed there are growing numbers of migrants seeking employment assistance, and we thought this was a good way to offer them support. There are a lot of migrants feeling quite isolated at the moment, especially with employers being encouraged to hire New Zealand residents. It makes it difficult for them to find work and retain their visas.”
While this expo was particularly aimed at migrants, be they students or skilled workers, anyone could attend the event, Mr Lewis said.
Great South chief executive Graham Budd said the expo was essential for showing support to migrants given so much change as a result of COVID-19.
“It must be a very difficult time, especially for those who are separated from their friends and family. We want to make sure that Southland remains a welcoming place for anyone to live, work and play.”
Event Details
WHAT Migrant Employment Expo
WHERE Hansen Hall, Southern Institute of Technology Invercargill Campus
WHEN Wednesday 18 November, 10.00am to 4.00pm
COST Free
Seminars
10.30am How to Write a Great CV, with Renata Gill
11.30am Acing that Interview, with Hemali Shah and Amber Law
12.30pm Immigration Updates, with Craig Walsh
1.30pm Meet the Employer, with Ian Edwards, Reza Abdul-Jabbar and Gary Andrew
2.30pm The Hidden Job Market – How to find your next job, with Shannan Clarke
Speaker Profiles
How to Write a Great CV
Renata Gill, Great South Southland Youth Futures advisor
Before working at Great South, Renata worked as a Career Consultant in Invercargill, and a Human Resources Advisor for the St John Ambulance Service in Christchurch. She has considerable experience in CV and cover letter development, including formatting and content creation. Earlier in her career, Renata worked as a recruitment consultant for a large UK-based company where she supported her client with full life-cycle recruiting, including proactive candidate searches, testing, interviewing, assessment, and placement across business units throughout London. She enjoys working with people of all ages and backgrounds helping them to reach their goals.
Acing That Interview
Hemali Shah and Amber Law, Work Connect Career Consultants
To succeed in an interview, all you need is preparation! Join Hemali Shah and Amber Law to learn about the interview process and the importance of non-verbal communication with some additional tips and tricks to ace your interview.
Amber Law has been with the Work Connect team since November 2019. Her previous roles include adult education and most recently working with school leavers on their pathway into the workforce. Amber enjoys working with migrant clients on their career journeys and helping build their confidence and knowledge to successfully enter the New Zealand job market.
Hemali Shah, is working with the Tertiary Education Commission to deliver the Work Connect programme and has varied experience - a Human Resources career in India, working in Retail Management and studying business in New Zealand. Hemali is motivated and passionate about helping migrants in their job search journey and making them feel settled in New Zealand.
Immigration Updates
Craig Shaw, Immigration New Zealand Relationship Manager
Keep up to date with the latest changes to immigration policy.
Meet the Employer
Ian Edwards, CodeBlue South managing director
With over 30 years in the IT industry, Ian has significant insights, experiences and tips to share. He has been involved in infrastructure services, IT, and network communications industries, working in both national and international organisations. He has been lucky to be involved in most aspects from reseller, support, and service provider, to being a client and decision maker.
Reza Abdul-Jabbar, Dairy farm owner
Listen to Reza Abdul- Jabbar share his story of finding success in Southland, as he worked his way into dairy farm ownership. Learn about the opportunities within the industry and be inspired to start your journey in the primary sector.
Gary Andrew, Invercargill City Council manager of people and capability
Gary left the UK in 2011 with his family and spent 6 years working in Auckland, firstly as the Head of Human Resources for a large New Zealand based manufacturing company and then as HR Director for a global private school. In 2017 Gary took the opportunity to move to Southland where he was part of the project team that established a state of the art milk processing plant on the outskirts of Gore. In 2019 he made the move to Invercargill City Council where he currently heads up the People & Capability, Payroll and Health & Safety teams.
The Hidden Job Market
Shannan Clarke, Frontline Training project and business manager
Did you know over 70% of jobs aren’t advertised online? Join Shannan’s seminar where you will learn how to unlock the hidden job market. Shannan has been a small business owner, is a qualified Career Practitioner and Coach, Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Business Mentor. She has over 30 years working in Business, Management, Training and Education sectors where people are at the core and specialises in getting the most out of people to reach their full potential. Having worked alongside SME’s in consultancy and mentoring roles as well as tutoring in Adult Education and Training for Businesses. Holding qualifications in Business Management, Leadership, Career Advisory, Coaching and Clinical Hypnotherapy. Shannan has experience delivering training, upskilling and support to a wide range of demographics including Maori and Pasifika, Immigrants and has vast experience working with people overcoming challenges and those wanting to enhance life opportunities.