Record first for Student Job Search

Student Job Search, New Zealand’s employment service for tertiary students and employers, has achieved a record-breaking year, pumping $95.7m into the student economy and recording its highest number of job placements since 2008. 

In the financial year ending June 30 2018, not only did SJS achieve its highest ever earnings for students. They also achieved a record number of job placements, 27,735 were made across the country, the highest in 10 years.

Alongside a shift in employment trends, more employers are recognising the value of using SJS to recruit talented students for ongoing part-time roles, with an emphasis on roles that offer more flexibility, such as permanent part-time and casual positions.

The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) contracts SJS to help students looking for holiday and in-term employment. The service is free to employers and to tertiary students whose student body or education provider is a member of SJS. 

“Our recent results speak to the fact that more and more of our employers are recognising the value of offering ongoing part-time and flexible work options as a way of bringing on board fresh talent and ideas,” says SJS CEO Tim Allen (pictured).

“We’ve seen a shift in attitudes, with many employers we deal with taking a broader view. As long as the applicants have well-developed, transferrable skills such as working in teams and good interpersonal communication, they take the view that they can teach them the technical skills. The benefit to the employer is a highly motivated employee with new thinking and a fresh perspective.”

Chris Brown, owner of Handy Rentals in Wellington, has been using SJS since 2004 to fill weekend customer service and vehicle care roles. 
“We’ve hit the jackpot every time with SJS,” says Brown. “We have been using pretty much the same job ad since we started. The roles are for front-of-house people, interacting with our customers, principally at the weekend. 
“We usually get about half a dozen applicants and there are always at least a couple who are just right for us. Our students usually come to us in their second year and stay two or three years, until they have finished their studies.” 

“Student Job Search has been operating since 1982 and has become part of New Zealand’s DNA,” says Allen. “Many employers tell us they found work through SJS back in their student days and because of that they are motivated to employ students now. 

“They want to give back to the community and provide a hand up to the next generation of our workforce. But it’s also because they recognise that we offer a good service and exceptional talent pool across a wide range of disciplines and make many connections between employers who are seeking specific skills and students who can supply those.”