Auckland has signed a new Regional Partnership Agreement (RPA) which will aim to successfully attract and retain skilled migrants to the entire region, rather than the city itself.
The agreement, which has a term of three years, was signed on 9th May in Auckland.
Auckland will join other regions of New Zealand who have similar agreements in place; including The Bay of Plenty and Manawatu-Whanganui.
These agreements ensure that the country’s regions make the most of skilled migration and investment. They aim to address skill gaps for industries and support growing sectors that have been facing long-term labour shortages in their high skill occupations – such as the IT sector.
This new RPA will continue the work that has been completed by Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development, Auckland Council and INZ over the past three years, but will have an additional focus on supporting communities that need extra help, such as Pacific communities, as they enter and try and settle in New Zealand.
Given the success of RPA’s as a means to assist regions to best leverage migration as an economic and social enabler, other regions throughout the country are also now considering how an agreement may benefit their slice of New Zealand.
Article published 15th May 2018