Enterprise offers ticket to job success

By MONIQUE DEVEREUX

While New Zealand may be lamenting the loss of its young professionals overseas, at least one programme is working to make sure this country reaps the benefits of their international experience.

AIESEC, a non-profit international organisation with six branches in New Zealand, sends new graduates to work overseas - and then brings them back to put their experience to work here.

It also helps to find jobs for overseas students in New Zealand.

Working through universities, the organisation started in Europe 50 years ago and began including New Zealand graduates in 1978.

The graduates are matched up to overseas companies needing people with their skills, and placed in employment for anything up to 18 months.

Auckland president Dave Christianson said that up to 15 Kiwis were sent each year.

Although AIESEC did not secure them jobs on their return, most found it relatively easy to find work, he said.

The organisation's main aim was to develop the individual and help him or her to gain experience.

"But gaining that experience and coming back to New Zealand to use it is an obvious boost for the country's development," Mr Christianson said.

"New Zealand is so isolated, gaining this kind of international knowledge and putting it to work in our own companies can only be a way forward for the country.

"Even if it is just a few people, even small steps are productive."

Paul Scott knows about the benefits first-hand.

He spent last year developing software for General Computers in Belgium on the programme.

He returned to New Zealand to be with family and friends and for the lifestyle, but also had no problem finding work.

Within a couple of weeks of returning he had three job offers.

"The agencies told me that every year of experience gained abroad was worth two years' experience here," Mr Scott said.

Working overseas had provided a valuable insight into the way larger corporations worked and the "whole process of international business," he said.

"That provides an important spinoff for New Zealand, to have that kind of experience coming up through the workforce."

Mr Christianson said AIESEC had graduates in Switzerland, Austria, Malaysia and the Ukraine at present, with students from Bulgaria and Nigeria working in New Zealand.

"At the moment we only have a small number of New Zealand companies willing to take part, but hopefully that will change as the awareness of AIESEC's benefits grows."

Herald Online feature: The jobs challenge

We invite your responses to a series of questions such as: what key policies would make it easier for unemployed people to move into and generate jobs?