Virtual Job Fair Targets 10,000 Working Holiday Makers For Roles In Australia And New Zealand

London, 18 July 2022
For Immediate Release

Virtual Job Fair Targets 10,000 Working Holiday Makers For Roles in Australia and New Zealand

Age Limit Of Working Holiday Visas For Brits Will Increase From 30 To 35 Years

BUNAC, a leading UK provider of overseas work and travel programmes with a network of employers down under, has announced its goal to make 10,000 Australian and New Zealand job vacancies available to British working holiday makers between now and the autumn. Both countries experienced a significant drop in immigration during the pandemic, and have seen a major rebound in tourism and hospitality since borders re-opened, leading to a bumper supply of work opportunities. British candidates can sign up to a free virtual job fair taking place from 25 to 29 July, where overseas employers will showcase their vacancies and conduct online interviews for jobs starting between September 15th and October 15th, in plenty of time for the antipodean summer season.

Lucy Lynch, Head of Marketing at BUNAC commented: "Now is a really exciting time to take a working holiday in Australia or New Zealand. We've been working closely with our network of in-country employers to bring these vacancies to the British public, and our virtual job fair is the ideal place for travellers to secure a position before they fly.

"Employers are flexible and used to taking on overseas travellers for short-term and seasonal roles, which means it’s easy for backpackers to find work and earn money on the move, hopping between cities and different regions.

“For anyone who struggled to find work experience during the pandemic, this is a great chance to make their CV stand out. Working abroad is a great talking point at interviews, and shows future employers that you have confidence and initiative."

Australia and New Zealand are in the process of expanding their reciprocal working holiday visa schemes with the UK to raise the age limit from 30 to 35 years, enabling a substantial extra tranche of young adults to reap the benefits of overseas work and travel. The new plans for Australia were signed off under the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement on 17 December 2021 and are expected to be implemented in the coming months, while plans for New Zealand were agreed in principle on 1 July 2022 and scheduled to begin in 2024. Visitors to Australia and New Zealand will be able to stay for up to three years (currently 12 months for New Zealand) and farm work requirements for Australia will be removed.

BUNAC offers three Work Australia and Work New Zealand programmes for travellers from the UK, tailored to meet individual requirements. All packages include the essentials such as visa processing and support with tax and banking, plus optional airport transfers, accommodation on arrival, in-country job-finding support, and social activities to meet like-minded travellers. Prices start from £349 for Australia and £289 for New Zealand.

An array of reputed and well-established employers are taking part in the Virtual Job Fair, including Voyages (the Ayers Rock Resort team), Merivale (one of Australia's largest hospitality groups), Gaia Retreat and Spa (Australia's most awarded boutique lifestyle retreat), Experience Co. (an adventure company offering skydiving, rain forest and tropical island expeditions across Australia and New Zealand, and boat tours to the Great Barrier Reef) and Good Group Hospitality, one of Australia's largest and most successful food and beverage businesses, with restaurants and bars in Sydney and Melbourne.

Helise Heggen, Head of Talent at Merivale, said: "We are delighted to be partnering with BUNAC and looking forward to meeting and interviewing British working holiday makers to help secure a career at Merivale before they arrive."

Candidates can sign up now for the fair, taking place from 25 to 29 July, via the BUNAC website, which features a vast array of jobs available in Australia and New Zealand. Each interview will typically last 20 minutes and candidates will know the outcome of their application by the start of the following week.

Prospective working holiday makers can obtain further information on BUNAC’s Work Australia and Work New Zealand programmes by calling 0333 014 8484 or visiting the BUNAC website:

https://bunac.org/working-holidays/work-australia

https://bunac.org/working-holidays/work-new-zealand

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Press:

- Dropbox link to Australia/New Zealand working holiday images: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/ipq3wlc4dh5y0gpkfou3n/h?dl=0&rlkey=qdr9egz8yhr6hb1kh17p38rn9

- For further media information, contact Lucy Lynch, Head of Marketing at BUNAC (Lucy.Lynch@bunac.org) or Fiona Elliott PR (fiona.elliott@counterpointllp.com, 07917 322501).