Entered by: New Zealand Story

In August 2022, headlines told the story of New Zealand’s labour market pain: “New Zealand is in danger of losing the global talent war.”

While Aotearoa New Zealand had done a great job of containing the COVID pandemic during 2020/21, the consequence of the border closures meant New Zealand was in danger of falling behind in the fiercely competitive global race for talent as the world re-opened. As the government agency tasked with promoting New Zealand’s brand internationally, New Zealand Story Group (NZS) identified a need to work at both a macro and micro level; addressing a holistic need to compete as a migrant destination, and to support the specific needs of various industry sectors feeling the pinch.