“Discussing work options and exploring opportunities is so much easier when you are face-to-face,” Churchill said. Staff from the Ministry of Social Development would be on site to provide assistance.
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MSD regional commissioner for Nelson-Tasman, Marlborough and the West Coast, Craig Churchill, said the forum allowed job placement to happen quickly. Hundreds of jobs were on offer in the region, including work in horticulture, viticulture, food processing and sawmill operations. But with border restrictions and major developments on the horizon, a shortage of workers was likely to be one of Marlborough’s biggest challenges this year and next. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment had established the Marlborough interim Regional Skills Leadership Group (iRSLG) to explore how best to support the region’s workforce needs post-Covid.