ITI Articles

Employment outcomes are important for any tertiary education institution, but private training provider New Zealand Management Academies (NZMA) has taken this responsibility a step further than most – they’ve just launched their own recruitment company.
 
Red Fish, which trades as a separate entity from NZMA, is a work placement and employment service set up primarily for NZMA and sister company FERN English Academy students and graduates. 
 
The company is spearheaded by Recruitment Manager Barry Anderson.  Anderson has a strong background in recruitment and has held senior roles with recruitment companies Reed Consulting and EVP Parnell.
 
“Red Fish is unique.  No other private tertiary educator has moved in this direction, to this extent,” he says.
 
In the past NZMA has hired employment advisors to help students and graduates into the workforce; however, the establishment of an independent recruitment company last month highlights the commitment the provider has to both its students and the industries it serves.
 
NZMA specialises in hospitality and business certificate and diploma programmes as well as certificate courses in contact centre training.  It has three academies in Auckland and another in Hamilton.
 
“Building on the years of relationships developed by NZMA, Red Fish is in a unique position to establish strong partnerships with national and local companies across a broad range of industries.  We have partnerships with employers all over the country, including many of New Zealand’s leading five-star hotels, telecommunications companies, banks, insurance companies and even domestic and international carriers.”
 
From week 11 of their course, all students will have the opportunity to meet with a qualified Red Fish recruitment team member.  They will have help fine-tuning their CVs and honing their interview techniques and will be entered into the Red Fish client database.  Follow-up appointments will be scheduled throughout the remainder of the course; both for those seeking work and those gainfully employed, and all students will be given further appointments prior to graduation.  It’s a free service for all NZMA and FERN students and graduates.
 
“Red Fish has an absolute commitment to place students and graduates into employment.  We will go the extra mile both for our clients and our employers and we are confident we have the knowledge and the recruitment ‘know-how’ to hook our clients up to work when and where they need it.”
 
Red Fish also specialises in working holiday and internship packages for overseas visitors to New Zealand.  They can line employment up for travellers before they even leave home, alleviating stress and financial worry.  They can also offer practical work experience packages for tertiary students from overseas who want to fulfil course requirements for their study.  These packages also include New Zealand bank account and IRD number set up, SIM cards, international calling cards and offshore phone interviews.  Airport pick-ups and hostel and home stay placements can also be arranged.
 
Already Red Fish has developed several partnerships with offshore work and travel companies, including an exclusive deal with STA Travel USA – a company that occupies 70 per cent of the American working holiday market.
 
“More and more these days, people don’t want to leave home not knowing where they are going and what they are going to achieve.  Red Fish offers something unique because we offer working holiday makers and tertiary students from around the world the opportunity to come to New Zealand knowing where they are going to work, for how long and in what position, before they even get here.  That’s a reassurance and security that no other company is offering to this extent.”