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The research forecasts a 27 per cent increase in the number of jobs in the sector, with an estimated 76,000 Aucklanders working in the industry within the next three years.
However, with industry concerns growing around skills shortages and with one in eight young people aged under 25 not "earning or learning", Ateed and TIA wanted to understand what New Zealanders, particularly young people, think about working in tourism.
Tourism students, tourism workers and the general population were surveyed in focus groups and online surveys. More than 1700 people participated.
Of those 3 per cent of students, 21 per cent of the general population and 27 per cent of workers believed there was low pay. No workers thought there was very high pay while 6 per cent of students and 2 per cent of the general population thought there was very high pay.
TIA chief executive Chris Roberts said the tourism industry offered a huge range of jobs and career pathways to young people, from frontline customer service roles, to back office business-focused positions.
Positions were available in every region, often in locations where few other opportunities exist.
"Tourism has been more successful in marketing New Zealand to visitors than promoting itself as a career destination to young New Zealanders. This now needs to change."
Key findings from the research included:
Positive
• Young people studying and working think tourism is an important part of the economy
• Recent tourism recruits find the industry appealing to work in
• Tourism is growing and there are lots of opportunities
• No qualifications required, you can jump straight in
• It's an experience-based industry so you can work your way up
• Others will think your job is fun, interesting and exciting
• You'll work with outgoing, passionate and easy-going people representing New Zealand
• Huge variety; you don't need to be bored or stuck in an office
Challenges
• Tourism jobs have average pay
• Tourism jobs are low-status, anti-social and temporary
• Limited career pathways
• A tourism career is difficult to imagine. It's a hard-sell to parents
• At school, tourism is viewed as an easy subject
• Unambitious people go into tourism
• Career advisers aren't strong tourism advocates.
The work was co-sponsored by Tourism Industry NZ Trust and all the organisations involved said that the industry needed to:
• Build the tourism blueprint: Promote tourism's competitive advantages to young people and bust the myths.
• Reflect experiences highlighted by those already working in the industry, namely that it's fun, offers adventure and life-changing experiences. It's a dynamic sector where people can advance and gain new skills transferable worldwide.
• Create the buzz: Develop a long-term communication campaign, largely online content-led and also through schools to attract young people when they're in the ''decision zone''.
• Engage influencers to talk up tourism: Drive a vocation awareness strategy specifically targeted at high schools and parents. Highlight the diverse pathways, roles and ambassadors of industry to raise tourism's status. Work with curriculum strategists to broaden its exposure to more students and upskill specialist tourism educators.
• Attract and mentor bright New Zealanders: Address the industry's need for casual and entry-level skills by targeting undecided school leavers or tertiary students seeking part-time employment. Encourage employers to offer internships and on-the-job mentoring. An enjoyable ''gap-year'' experience could be the bridging strategy which attracts talent into the industry long term.
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