Mark Gillard: NZ Careers Expo director on job opportunities declining for young Kiwis

There's immense pressure for young New Zealanders trying to find work as opportunities decline.

Stats NZ data shows 16 percent of Kiwis aged 15-24 are unemployed.

NZ Careers Expo director Mark Gillard says the market conditions show it's a tough market for young workers.

"It's not anybody's fault, the onus is certainly there on employers, on industry organisations to engage with young people. There's been a propensity to step back and let the internet do all the talking, but we know face-to-face engagement with young people is what really inspires them." 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Brian Brad it's tough to be a young job seeker
right now. Sixteen percent of the fifteen to twenty four
year olds in New Zealand currently out of work sixteen percent.
Gen z economist Brad Olsen from Informetric spoke to Nick
Mills about this issue on news talks that w'd be
Wellington Mornings earlier today.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
We know that if you're under thirty, your job chances,
your job opportunities are just so much more heavier hits
than any other part of the economy.

Speaker 1 (00:26):
Mark Giller, director of the New Zealand Careers Expo, with
me now, Hey.

Speaker 3 (00:29):
Mark, Hey, how are you right?

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (00:31):
Good, thank you. Good to have you on the program.
How tough is it out How tough is it out
there for people? Young people?

Speaker 3 (00:37):
Oh? Look, it's obviously very tough. I mean there's a
lot of things going on out there for young people
to navigate these days.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
And who I mean, is there anything that they could
be doing better or is it just market conditions?

Speaker 3 (00:52):
Look, market conditions aren't helping obviously. Those stats that Brad
quoted earlier on today, they show a pretty tough environment.
But it's never been particularly easy for young people. They
need to lean on the resources that are out there
to help them navigate their way through. I know Brad
made the comment it's not the fault of young people
that it's so tough these days. But while it's not

(01:14):
necessarily anybody's fault, the owners is certainly there on employers,
on industry organizations to engage with young people these days.
That's you know, there's been a propensity to step back
and let the internet that we'll be talking, but we
know face to face engagement with young people is what
really inspires them. That's what helps them connect and know

(01:36):
what their options are. That's where we put so much
emphasis and so much work into things like the career
expos that have been running across the country. You know,
we've been operating for thirty three years. Every year there's
a new cohort of young people coming through much the
same questions on their lips every time, but they need
to talk to somebody, and that's where the owners comes
back on to us to connect and help guide and

(01:58):
inspire them.

Speaker 1 (01:59):
CHET GP to you a good idea for your CV mark.

Speaker 3 (02:03):
Well, they're helpful tools just to save, as the calculator
was when net flist came in, but I think people
still want to see the personality of each individual come through.
So they've definitely got to make use of those new
AI tools that are there, but they've still got to
let their own personalities come through. Know who they're talking
to and what they're saying, what they're looking for, how
best to engage.

Speaker 1 (02:23):
Yeah, because only the other problem, of course will chet
GPT is once you get into the office and start talking,
they'll soon work out that it wasn't you that wrote
the CV. Mark Appreciate your time. Mark Gillard as the
director of the new Zealing Careers expos

Speaker 3 (02:36):
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