James and Shannon Burke have first-hand experience employing migrant staff who have become a key part of their sharemilking business. Three of the Burke’s four staff are Filipinos because they struggled to fill a dairy assistant role on the farm with local workers.
“It’s becoming consistently harder and harder each year to bridge that gap and try and fill our vacancies with New Zealanders” Shannon says.
In their first year at White Pine Dairies they were introduced to The Regions Immigration Law and Recruitment director Ben De’Ath, as they needed a dairy farm assistant.
“James and I provided Ben with background of our sharemilking business and our staffing needs which included tractor experience and he recommended appropriate candidates which we selected from.” Shannon has worked part-time from home for the company since February this year.
The Regions is New Zealand’s only nationwide immigration and recruitment and placement company specifically servicing the dairy sector throughout New Zealand, she says.
It helps dairy farmers fulfill their staffing needs through the recruitment of migrant workers, as well as providing support for the workers and their families after they have moved to New Zealand. Shannon’s work arrangement suits her family and farm situation perfectly.
“I am able to work part-time from home and assist farmers to alleviate their recruitment needs, an area in which I know first-hand is becoming increasingly difficult” Filipinos are extremely hard working and very reliable, Shannon says.
“A large percentage of our employees that we have placed in roles as farm assistants go on to progress through the industry.”
One of the Burke’s employees, who has been with them for three years, is now an Assistant Farm Manager on a two year visa and is starting the process to get his wife to move to New Zealand.
One of the main challenges in recruiting Filipino’s is the time the process takes, up to 12 weeks, to have their immigration application and visa approved.
“While it does take a few weeks to from the initial engagement, the end result is typically a reliable employee who shows loyalty and consistency and most of which will progress through the industry.”
Ngatea has a well-established Filipino community and one of the Burke’s goals is to provide the opportunity for those they employ to have a better life in New Zealand.
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Migrant workers key part of sharemilking business
