Leon Kruger can finally afford to be fussy. With unemployment in South Africa pushing 50% and limited opportunities for advancing his engineering career, turning down work used to be the last thing on his mind. Coming to New Zealand, he admits it’s taken him a while to adjust to his change in circumstances. “The opportunities here are amazing; it’s nothing like South Africa.”
With his wife and two young children, Leon migrated to New Zealand early in 2004. Today they live in Hamilton, located in the hub of the agricultural Waikato Region. Leon’s family enjoys the convenient location, but it’s the friendliness and honesty of the people which impress them the most.
Leon, a graduate of Pretoria University, with a Bachelor of Engineering, had no difficulties getting a job offer before coming to New Zealand. With a qualification recognised in New Zealand, and no mandatory registration requirements, the transition was easy. The family came to New Zealand under the Skilled Migrant category, and soon became residents. “I was impressed at how easy it was; it only took four months.”
Adapting to working in New Zealand is a gradual process. Leon’s main difficulty was grasping the engineering terminology used in New Zealand. He says the resource consent process is very different from South Africa’s, and there are some major legal differences. “I had a bit of difficulty adapting initially, and it seemed very foreign.”
Despite a few teething problems, Leon is confident things are only going to get easier. “Once you get used to things, it’s all very similar. Engineering is the same worldwide.”