Skilled Migrant Programme and the Rotary Club of Wellington
The Rotary Club of Wellington has strongly supported the Skilled Migrant Programme, run by the English Language Institute at the School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, since its inception in 2005.
The Club supports the programme by organising guest lectures about aspects of New Zealand professional life, helping with mock job interviews from guest tutors, helping source internships for the participants of the programme, and providing mentoring support for graduates. The Club also invites each skilled migrant class to lunch towards the end of the course, where they witness the Club in action. At the lunch, course coordinator Nicky Riddiford and a member of the class are invited to address the Club.
During the mock job interviews, the tutors provide invaluable feedback and advice on handling an interview in the New Zealand context. The tutors are all experienced interviewers with senior roles in government or business, who still find time to visit the class for an hour each week. The employment outcomes for graduates of the programme are encouragingly high, with 75-80 percent now working in their professional area. Graduates frequently attribute their success in job interviews to the practice they had with the guest tutors.