Graduates Seek Opportunities Abroad as Public Sector Jobs Decline

As public sector job opportunities continue to dwindle, many graduates are looking overseas for work. In the past two years, nearly one-third of graduate roles and internship positions in the public service have been eliminated, leaving qualified individuals with limited options. This situation has forced some to abandon their degrees and accept any job available, while others contemplate leaving the country altogether.

Challenging Job Market for New Graduates

Amy, who is completing her environmental studies degree in 2024, had envisioned a clear path into the workforce after interning with the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) in 2023. Her hopes were dashed when the graduate programme she had anticipated joining was cancelled due to budget concerns. “I was shortlisted for that, went through the whole process, did the written assessment, and the interview, then they cancelled the programme due to budget uncertainty. That was quite a setback for me,” she explained.

After struggling to secure another role in the public sector, Amy opted to pursue a post-graduate diploma. Despite MPI reintroducing its graduate programme for 2026, she found that competition had intensified due to the larger pool of applicants. “It showed me that because there hadn’t been a graduate programme for two or three years, the pool of graduates they were choosing from was much bigger,” she noted. “There was a lot more talent to choose from.” Now back in the job market, Amy is expanding her search beyond her home city of Wellington and is even considering opportunities abroad.

Charlotte Marsh, who recently completed her bachelor’s degree in nutrition, faced similar challenges. Initially planning to transition to a post-graduate diploma in public health, she was disheartened to discover that all the graduate programmes she had identified were cut before she could apply. “It felt like everything I had planned was thrown off, and it was just frustrating to know it was only a year’s difference between getting one of these roles and leaving uni with essentially no plan,” she stated.

After spending six months applying for jobs without success, Charlotte took a job as a flight attendant. “It was sort of a forced career change based on the fact that it was taking such a toll on my mental health,” she admitted. “Pretty much you’d apply, and I’d see there were over 1,000 applicants for each position.”

Impact of Budget Cuts on Employment Opportunities

The cuts to graduate pathways have been widespread, affecting nearly every organization that previously offered them. Fleur Fitzsimmons, secretary of the Public Service Association, commented on the situation, stating, “This was seen as easy cuts to make; they’re actually very short-sighted and will have a scarring effect on the demographic makeup of our public sector for years to come. They will push more young New Zealanders to Australia.”

Students at Victoria University of Wellington have become increasingly vocal about the issue. A petition calling for the reinstatement of graduate roles in the public service was delivered to Camilla Belich, Labour’s spokesperson for the public service. The university’s student association president, Liban Ali, emphasized the urgency of securing employment after graduation. “A lot of students come to university aspiring to get well-off jobs but also to do something they’re really passionate about. What has happened in the last two years is that a lot of those potential jobs or graduate programmes aren’t there anymore,” he explained.

As part of their campaign, the students chose to hand over the petition at the airport to symbolize the growing trend of graduates seeking better opportunities abroad. Significant organizations such as the Department of Conservation, Stats NZ, and the Ministry for Social Development have paused their graduate programmes, with no timelines provided for resumption. While MPI and the Ministry for the Environment have resumed their programmes, they are operating at reduced capacity.

The Public Service Commission has reported that it has managed to retain more than half of its graduate programmes across the sector, despite ongoing budget restraints. The primary reason for pausing programmes has been the inability of agencies to hire new staff during restructuring.

The current job landscape presents a stark reality for new graduates, with many feeling the pressure to adapt quickly in an environment that offers fewer opportunities in their chosen fields. As they navigate an uncertain future, a growing number are considering taking their skills abroad, seeking more stable job prospects.