Workers proving hard to find

processes, to make applying for jobs easier, Boote said.

Talley’s Group was also looking into being able to provide accommodation for workers, to reduce this as a barrier to coming to Marlborough to work.

The Marlborough Regional Skills Leadership Group (RSLG), set up by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to address regional skills and workforce needs, last week released its first workforce plan.

The group worked with the Marlborough District Council to engage with more than 200 stakeholders, and focused on five key sectors; aged care, aquaculture, aviation, building and construction, and the wine industry.

Group co-chair and Rangita¯ ne o Wairau general manager Corey Hebberd said issues around recruitment at all skill levels were not new for Marlborough, but had been exacerbated over the past couple of years.

‘‘It is as hard to hire a doctor than [it is] a manufacturer,’’ Hebberd said.

‘‘We have one of the oldest populations in the country, we currently have a very low unemployment rate, and many of our young people leave the region once they finish school to pursue opportunities elsewhere.

‘‘We do not train many of our skilled people locally. This means that we need to attract people with the right skills to Marlborough,

whilst needing to develop training opportunities locally.’’

Hebberd said primary sector and associated manufacturing had perception issues that made it hard to attract workers.

‘‘There are many opportunities and career pathways within . . . our primary sectors, so it’s about making our people, in addition to skilled people elsewhere, aware of the opportunities, and making them accessible,’’ he said.

By 2038, the number of filled jobs in Marlborough is expected to increase by 25%.

Clearview cleaner co-owner Christian Fletcher-firks used to advertise jobs on the company’s Facebook page and get successful applicants within a couple of weeks. But when one of his five fulltime employees left in December, it took him six months to find a replacement.

‘‘There was just nobody around, so we did struggle. The market has changed, and it’s hard to find new staff members.’’

Fletcher-firks used the Ministry of Social Development’s (MSD) free recruitment service to find people, and hired someone in June.

The ministry also provided a number of services, including a wage contribution to help with training new employees.

‘‘It does take [candidates] a while to learn the job, and that flexi-wage takes the pressure off,’’ Fletcher-firks said.