Benefits of graduating in New Zealand

After 12 years of schooling, an additional 3 – 7 years of university, and an awful lot of money, many parents dream of their children graduating and landing their perfect job. But is this a reality, or is this just a dream?

Since 2003, a Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policy has been in force in South Africa. BEE aims to remedy inequality by promoting employment and advancement of black and coloured South Africans. Companies with a BEE level 1 status are granted more lucrative government contracts, promoting the employment of black South Africans. For the minority, BEE makes finding and securing a job more stressful and more challenging than in other countries.

South African university graduates can wait up to twelve months to secure a job, with a high percentage of degree holders unemployed. Over in New Zealand, securing a job takes three to six months, with only 3.7% of graduates being unemployed.

South Africa has been ranked first as the most unequal country globally, and corruption could play a part in this. With a corruption score of 44/100 (0 = highly corrupt and 100 = clean), South Africa does not have an honest government, unlike New Zealand. New Zealand is currently in joint 1st place with a corruption score doubled that of South Africa at 88 points!

Many people entering the job market in South Africa find it difficult to find their feet. New Zealand uses a social system called Meritocracy, which focuses on an individual’s capabilities and merits rather than family, wealth, social status, or skin colour. This means that pay gaps in the workplace have shrunk to 8.6%, whereas South Africa averages between 23% & 35%. Meritocracy in New Zealand has given rise to a healthy work-life balance. 76% of Kiwis have a happy work-life balance, whereas South Africans sit at 29%.

With one of the cleanest governments in the world, an outlook-based approach purely on merit, and an extremely low graduate unemployment rate, there is no question that New Zealand is one of the easiest countries to obtain work for both the young and the old.

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