Skill Shortages: Occupations in Shortage in New Zealand
7 Shortages for technicians and associate professionals
The overall fill rate for technicians and associate professional vacancies was 57% in 2007, indicating a severe shortage. Fill rates were calculated for 23 individual technician and associate professional occupations in 2007. Of these, 22 (96%) were found to be in shortage, including 5 (22%) that were in extreme shortage. Only teacher aides were not in shortage in 2007.
Physical science and engineering associate professionals
Physical science and engineering technicians (NZSCO sub-major group 31) remained on the margin between severe and extreme shortage in 2007, with a 42% fill rate overall.
Employers seeking quantity surveyors, draughting technicians, and mechanical engineering technicians filled only about 40% of their vacancies. In other words, these occupations are on the margin between severe and extreme shortage (see Figure 13)
Figure 13: Fill rates for physical science and engineering associate professionals, 2007
Note: Occupations for which fewer than 10 employers were interviewed in the SERA are omitted from this graph.
Quantity surveyors remain difficult to find in 2007; however, there has been a marked easing of skill shortage for this occupation, with the fill rate increasing 19 percentage points since 2006 (see Figure 14).
| NZSCO code | NZSCO description | Fill rate | 2007 vacancies | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 (%) | 2006 (%) | 2007 (%) | JVM (no.) | Sample (no.) | ||
| 31121 | Quantity surveyor | 25 | 20 | 39 | 136 | 31 |
| 31151 | Mechanical engineering technician | 29 | 61 | 37 | 99 | 19 |
| 31181 | Draughting technician | 31 | 27 | 37 | 263 | 62 |
| 311 | Physical science and engineering technicians subtotal | 29 | 32 | 39 | 711 | 190 |
| 31213 | Computer support technician | 74 | 88 | 73 | 73 | 26 |
| 312 | Computer equipment controllers subtotal | 56 | 72 | 59 | 109 | 43 |
| 31511 | Safety inspector | 53 | 48 | 41 | 83 | 17 |
| 315 | Safety and health inspectors subtotal | 43 | 61 | 41 | 128 | 33 |
| 31 | Physical science and engineering associate professionals total | 37 | 42 | 42 | 1,066 | 289 |
Note: Occupations for which fewer than 10 employers were interviewed in the SERA are not shown in the table. Caution is needed when interpreting fill rates based on small sample sizes (see Appendix B for further discussion of sample errors). Some (sub)totals may exceed the sum of the rows above as they include data from occupations not shown in the table.
Life science and health associate professionals
Life science and health associate professionals (NZSCO sub-major group 32) were on the margin between a moderate and severe shortage overall in 2007, with a 56% fill rate.
Within this sub-major group, enrolled nurses (29%) showed an extreme shortage, while physiotherapists (41%) were on the margin between a severe to extreme shortage (see Figure 15). Occupational therapists (56%) were on the margin between moderate and severe shortage.
Figure 15: Fill rates for life science and health associate professionals 2007
Note: Occupations for which fewer than 10 employers were interviewed in the SERA are omitted from this graph.
Enrolled nurses showed a marked decline in fill rate. In 2006 three-quarters of the enrolled nurse vacancies were filled compared with less than one-third in 2007 (see Figure 16)
Conversely, occupational therapists showed a marked decrease in skill shortage in the last 2 years. In 2005 this occupation was in extreme shortage, with a 21% fill rate, which eased to 56% in 2007.
Note: Occupations for which fewer than 10 employers were interviewed in the SERA are not shown in the table. Caution is needed when interpreting fill rates based on small sample sizes (see Appendix B for further discussion of sample errors). Some (sub)totals may exceed the sum of the rows above as they include data from occupations not shown in the table.
Other associate professionals
Other associate professionals (NZSCO sub-major group 33) were in moderate shortage in 2007, with a 62% fill rate. Comparable figures are not available for 2005 because of sampling issues (see Appendix B for further details).
Employers were able to fill only one-quarter of vacancies for real estate agents/property consultants and about half the vacancies for travel consultants (see Figure 17).
Teacher aides showed no shortage in 2007, with close to 9 out of every 10 vacancies being filled.
Note that fill rates could not be calculated for the following NZSCO minor groups because of small sample sizes.
- 333 (government associate professionals)
- 335 (careers and employment advisers)
- 337 (non-ordained religious associate professionals)
- 338 (environmental protection associate professionals)
Figure 17: Fill rates for other associate professionals, 2007
Note: Occupations for which fewer than 10 employers were interviewed in the SERA are omitted from this graph.
Technical representatives were on the margin between severe and moderate shortage in 2007, with a 60% fill rate. However, the fill rate for this occupation has fallen by 18 percentage points since 2006 (see Figure 18), showing that vacancies in this occupation have become more difficult to fill.
Conversely, several occupations in the 'other associate professionals' group have shown an easing of skill shortage. In particular, travel consultants, graphic designers, and sports coaches or trainers all showed an increase in fill rate of around 30 percentage points between 2005 and 2007. Sales representatives showed a 24 percentage point increase in fill rate between 2006 and 2007.
| NZSCO Code | NZSCO description | Fill rate | 2007 vacancies | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 (%) | 2006 (%) | 2007 (%) | JVM (no.) | Sample (no.) | ||
| 33 | Other associate professionals | - | 58 | 62 | 2,969 | 861 |
| 33121 | Insurance representative | - | - | 63 | 119 | 32 |
| 33131 | Real estate agent/property consultant | - | - | 24 | 286 | 200 |
| 33141 | Travel consultant | 20 | - | 46 | 50 | 22 |
| 33151 | Business services representative | - | - | 53 | 83 | 17 |
| 33152 | Technical representative | - | 79 | 60 | 257 | 68 |
| 33153 | Sales representative | - | 47 | 71 | 713 | 96 |
| 331 | Finance and sales associate professionals subtotal | - | 49 | 58 | 1639 | 472 |
| 33211 | Administration officer | - | - | 62 | 211 | 45 |
| 33212 | Conference/function organiser | - | - | 68 | 71 | 19 |
| 33241 | Organisation and methods analyst | 65 | 79 | 61 | 105 | 18 |
| 33242 | Building control/consents officer | - | - | 62 | 39 | 21 |
| 332 | Administrative associate professionals subtotal | 54 | 84 | 63 | 486 | 122 |
| 33411 | Social worker | 52 | 59 | 62 | 304 | 107 |
| 33422 | Teacher aide | 79 | 83 | 89 | 80 | 26 |
| 334 | Social work associate professionals subtotal | 61 | 63 | 67 | 417 | 142 |
| 33631 | Graphic designer | 25 | 71 | 60 | 49 | 25 |
| 33692 | Sports coach or trainer | 41 | 59 | 67 | 116 | 46 |
| 336 | Writers, artists, entertainment, and sports associate professionals subtotal | 41 | 61 | 70 | 363 | 114 |
Note: Occupations for which fewer than 10 employers were interviewed in the SERA are not shown in the table. Caution is needed when interpreting fill rates based on small sample sizes (see Appendix B for further discussion of sample errors). Some (sub)totals may exceed the sum of the rows above as they include data from occupations not shown in the table.