Young Professionals Making The Move To New Zealand

July 4, 2008

Young Professionals Making The Move To New Zealand

The numbers of people making the move to New Zealand definitely seems to be increasing. Predominantly it is young, well qualified and educated Britons who are deciding to make the move abroad. The New Zealand government has worked hard to attract these young professionals as a means of bolstering and enlarging the skills base of the economy.

According to the UK Office of National Statistics last year around four hundred thousand young Brits decide to make the move abroad, a ten percent increase on the year before. Seemingly these numbers are only set to increase. The recent annual move to New Zealand expo saw record numbers of attendees, showing that many are interested in making the move and living on the other side of the world.

The reasons behind this move to New Zealand by young professionals are wide and diverse. Some of the most touted reasons are that young professionals want to work and live in a society that has more chances of social mobility, less crime, more affordable housing and a better lifestyle in general. New Zealand has all of these powerful lures and hence is attracting large numbers of migrants.

One trend that has become apparent in the migrations figures is that young professionals are securing jobs before they make the move. Supporting this theory was the large numbers of Brits attending the ‘Opportunities New Zealand Expo’, believed to be around six thousand. These large numbers of attendees is only set to continue with three more expos planned in the next twelve months.

Of the companies present at the expo who were exhibiting and actively seeking recruits the industry sectors they represented were diverse. Some companies were representing the mining industry, others were from IT and telecommunications while a large number were from the medical sphere. The expo gave the chance for companies to recruit and speak to potential migrants directly, assessing their wants and needs whilst being able to improve their own services through the feedback gained. As a result of the expo, many attendees have secured jobs and will be making the move to New Zealand in the near future.

A recent survey of those who are making the move to Australia and New Zealand revealed that a third of migrants were making the move because of the lifestyle benefits of living in that part of the world. Apart from the obvious climate benefits many see living in this part of the world as beneficial due to the quality education systems, the abundance of jobs in certain industry sectors and the affordability of housing.

Many are leaving due to disillusionment with the UK; the government tax hikes, the worries surrounding the mortgage and property market as well as the deterioration in society are only some of the reasons behind this disillusionment. Many see New Zealand as the perfect move to make when wishing to avoid these circumstances.

If thinking of emigrating however it is vital that you must conduct a great deal of research before making the move. As the recent trends show, most migrants are not leaving the UK on a wing and a prayer and are instead securing work abroad before uprooting. In addition to finding a job it is essential to secure a working visa that will eventually lead to residency. While this is not always the easiest of tasks, it is a vital inclusion in the emigration process. So if the UK seems like a sinking ship to you, it may be worth investigating your opportunities abroad; before you know it you could be in a new country enjoying the lifestyle benefits and better weather.

Cultural expert Thomas Pretty looks into why increasing numbers of young professionals are making the move to New Zealand.

Tags : move to New Zealand, New Zealand emigration