18 December 2019
Around 100 people looking for employment have found jobs in and around the airport precinct thanks to the first-ever Auckland Airport Job Expo last month.
Held in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development and Auckland Business Chamber, more than 450 job seekers met with 24 employers looking to fill 300 roles across retail, hospitality and tourism using a quick-fire "speed dating" format.
Mary-Liz Tuck, General Manager of Corporate Services, says the event was a huge success and far exceeded expectations, filling jobs in and around the airport – one of the country's fastest growing business and construction precincts.
“Employers commented on the excellent calibre of the job seekers we had through the expo. Many jobs have already been offered to people and we expect the total jobs filled to be up to 100,” Mary-Liz says.
“This expo was focused on the hospitality, retail and tourism sector, but planning is already underway for our next expo on 13 February 2020, which will have a focus on construction, warehousing and trades.”
Chief Executive, Adrian Littlewood, says Auckland Airport is undergoing a significant transformation with a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure build that will transform the precinct.
“We are also a fast-growing business hub with hundreds of companies operating here. We want to ensure that local people share in the benefits of our transformation and have opportunities to connect with employers so they can find jobs close to their homes and provide for their whanau.”
Auckland Airport is already home to more than 800 businesses with 20,000 people working in the precinct every day. Since its establishment, Ara - Auckland Airport Jobs and Skills Hub has placed hundreds of people into employment and thousands of others have also successfully completed training including through apprenticeships and micro-training courses.
“Auckland Airport is at a really exciting point in its history and we are really keen for job seekers to consider the career-paths that are on offer here as well as enabling our local employers to fill vacancies they have,” says Adrian.
In 2019, 210 job placements were made through Ara, with 175 of these involving people living in South Auckland. In addition, more than 78 people completed training offered through the programme and 77 students from five local secondary schools graduated from a year-long work experience programme.