Grey Nomads and the Great NZ Harvest Trail
Seniors Supplement their Income on the great NZ Harvest Trail
Mar 2, 2009
In 2001, Rotorua businesswoman and career practitioner Janine Arnerich established what became New Zealand's largest New Zealand-owned job-search website. In a 2008 interview Ms. Arnerich, who has since sold the Seasonal Work website, said that one of the most intriguing trends she'd noticed during the years she developed www.seasonalwork.co.nz was the growing number of "Grey Nomads", over-55s who chose to abandon their city or suburban homes to follow the great New Zealand harvest trail. According to Ms. Arnerich, a director of Rotorua-based Career Network, the Nomads are hard working, punctual and have a great work ethic.
Employing an Older Workforce Can Have Advantages for Employers
There are other advantages from an employer’s point of view, not least being that Nomads bring their homes with them, so there’s no need to provide accommodation – although the increasing numbers of Nomads on the harvest trail has encouraged many employers to establish ablution blocks and powered sites for these sought-after employees who are unlikely to be absent after a hard night out. Likewise, leaving the job due to pregnancy or to care for sick children are not issues employers need to worry about when employing an older workforce.
Encouraging Older Workers to Remain in the Workforce
Seasonal employers are faced with many of the same dilemmas as employers who engage workers throughout the year. An aging population and lower birth rates mean that over the next two decades, fewer young people will enter the workforce, while workers over 45 will increase significantly. According to a 2007 NZ Department of Labour report ["Ageing Workforces and Ageing Populations: a Discussion Paper" by Fiona Alpass and Ruth Mortimer] it will be increasingly important for employers to provide flexible working environments. Seasonal work provides an ideal solution to the flexibility required by senior workers.
Web Technology Allows Seniors to Plan their Seasonal Work Months Ahead
There is a range of options for seasonal work at various times of the year throughout New Zealand. Picking kiwifruit, boysenberries, apples, cherries and blueberries, driving tractors, viticultural work, cooking, wait and bar staff are only a few of the choices on offer. Unlike earlier somewhat random methods of acquiring a workforce – perhaps a notice or two posted on the window of the local store or information centre – web technology allows both employers and workers to plan their seasonal activities months ahead, so with some forethought seniors can enjoy an adventure on the harvest trail earning money as they go.
Using the internet to source available work is fast and convenient for seniors and employers alike. When workers are required urgently, employers can advertise online immediately. Free student loans and summer schools often mean employers no longer have numbers of students looking for work, so relying on the student population is no longer an option. Workers do require a NZ Government Working Holiday Visa to be employed as a seasonal worker in New Zealand.
Seniors Should Investigate the Opportunities Offered by Seasonal Work in New Zealand
For seniors exiting the full-time workforce, taking a sabbatical or planning a motoring holiday, it's worthwhile investigating the opportunities offered by seasonal work in New Zealand. At the click of a mouse they’ll be able to link up to new employment opportunities, meet and mix with a whole new lot of workmates, and keep that superannuation invested while they enjoy their motor caravan adventure!
