New research highlights which cities in New Zealand are being hit the hardest by the manufacturing skills gap, with some cities at risk of struggling to fill more than three quarters of their vacancies.

The manufacturing skills index, compiled by manufacturing software specialist ECI Software Solutions reveals that Porirua is facing the biggest challenge of finding high-skilled people to fill roles in the sector. In the city, there are almost five roles for every applicant, with 77.48% of jobs potentially left unfilled.

This is followed closely behind by Hamilton which ranks in second place, and Lower Hutt which risks over 63% of roles being unfilled due to lack of demand.

The five locations with the biggest shortage of manufacturing workers are:

This comes as new research from Amazon Web Services revealed that more than one million New Zealanders will need digital skills training in the next year. New Zealand has one of the highest rates of 65+ year olds still working at 24%, with a third of its workforce aged over 55.

However only 17% of employers said they have adequate training opportunities for those over the age of 50.

At the other end of the spectrum, while business hubs like Auckland struggle to find people to fill vacancies, residents in other areas can’t find employment. In Whangarei and Rotorua for example, there are more than six people competing for every manufacturing job available, as more than 50,000 New Zealanders move back to the country during the pandemic.

The five locations which are most oversubscribed for manufacturing workers are:

Commenting on the research, Joe Wrightman, APAC MFG Managing Director at ECI Software Solutions, said:

“It’s an exciting time for the manufacturing industry in New Zealand. The introduction of automation and warehouse innovation in manufacturing has increased the number of open jobs. However, these systems require people with the right skill to operate them.

“While the physical nature and preconceptions of manufacturing often lead many to believe that remote work is not viable in the sector, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Technology has adapted to provide real-time visibility across your operations, often from the touch of a button. What is clear from this research is that while apprenticeships and a retraining programme will be highly beneficial for bridging the skills gap, so too will be more employers branching out and considering a remote work policy.”

For more information about this research, visit: https://www.ecisolutions.com/en-au/blog/manufacturing-labour-shortages-which-locations-are-struggling-to-hire-the-most/