Programme for skilled migrants wins award

The Workplace Communication for Skilled Migrants, a programme created by Wellington’s Victoria University to help skilled migrants find jobs, has won an EEO Trust Award. The programme took home the “Highly Commended” distinction in the Tomorrow’s Workforce Award category of the EEO Trust Work & Life Awards 2009.

The programme helps skilled migrants gain workplace experience and further develop their skills in job seeking, as well as enhance their communication skills and make them appropriate in the context of New Zealand workplaces.

According to economic assessments mentioned by Victoria’s Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, Professor Deborah Willis, the programme returns $98 to the country’s economy for every dollar spent. “The benefits are so high because they last for a graduate’s whole career. We conservatively estimate a productivity improvement of $30,000 per graduate per year of employment in 2009 values,” added the academic.

Programme designer and coordinator Nicky Riddiford said, “The EEO Trust Award is a wonderful recognition of the work done here and with our business and community partners in making a difference for people and the community. This programme benefits the migrants and their families, of course. It equally benefits the New Zealand community and workplaces by ensuring a speedy and positive entry into productive work.”

The programme consists on six weeks’ worth of in-class learning sessions, as well as six weeks of workplace experience and mentoring from business people.

This programme had already received special commendation from the New Zealand Humans Right Commission in June 2009.