Scaffolding, Access and Rigging New Zealand (SARNZ) is actively advocating for a sustainable visa and residency pathway for our migrant workers. Our goal is to ensure that immigration policies reflect the critical skill level required in our sector.
In our recent advocacy efforts, we have engaged with Hon. Minister Chris Penk, policy advisors from Hon. Minister Erica Stanford's office, and key officials from Immigration New Zealand. We also had a positive meeting with representatives from Stats NZ to discuss our needs for occupation classifications that reflect the true skill levels in scaffolding and rigging. This meeting marks a significant step towards achieving recognition as a Level 3 trade (skilled work) under Stats NZ classifications.
Industry support and the importance of accurate classifications
Leaders across our industry support our initiatives to modify immigration settings. Mark Irvine, Managing Director of Acrow Group, points out the challenges posed by recent immigration changes: “The inability to source skilled migrant workers easily is significantly impacting our ability to meet resourcing demands. Accurate occupation classification is crucial as our industry plays a key role across multiple sectors ensuring safety and successful completion of projects.”
Jonny Benbow, former president of SARNZ and Managing Director of Nayland Scaffold, reflects on the broader impact: “The scaffolding industry heavily relies on skilled and semi-skilled migrant workers. Recent policy measures have begun to strain our operations significantly, affecting our business, our workers, and the wider community.”
Clinton Geeves, CEO of NZS Group, emphasises, “Scaffolding work is specialised and high-risk, requiring extensive training and experience. Recognising it accurately in occupational classifications is essential for our industry’s growth and the training of local workers.”
Consultation opportunity
We have an important opportunity to influence the future of occupation titles and classifications in New Zealand. Stats NZ has launched a public consultation that could significantly impact our industry, especially in relation to immigration settings.
Why This Matters:
- The consultation includes proposals for updating occupation titles and classifications and implementing separate but aligned classifications for New Zealand and Australia.
- Accurate occupation titles, skill levels and classifications are crucial for ensuring that scaffolding and rigging are properly recognized, which can affect immigration pathways for skilled workers and what information is displayed to career seeker’s in the future.
What You Can Do:
- Review the Stats NZ consultation details and provide feedback here
- Download the template letter to use here
We encourage all members to participate and share their perspectives. Your input is vital to ensure our industry's needs are adequately represented.
Get feedback in by 9th August 2024.
CEO’s statement
We understand the need for balanced policy in our industry, and Tina Wieczorek, CEO of SARNZ, emphasises this, “It's crucial that we strike the right balance between prioritising training for local workers while also providing attractive options for migrant workers to choose New Zealand and our industry as a viable career path. We must act swiftly to prevent the loss of highly skilled, valued workers from the industry.”
We continue to engage with policymakers, industry leaders, and stakeholders to advocate for necessary changes. Our goal is to establish a sustainable and robust industry, recognised for its vital role in New Zealand's development.
Tina Wieczorek
CEO, Scaffolding, Access and Rigging New Zealand (SARNZ)
