Posted: Thursday, November 17, 2011 4:36 pm

In February 2011 New Zealand's capital was struck by it's second major earthquake in less than a year. The devastation caused by the disaster swept across the entire city, extending to the surrounding towns and suburbs, and is still being felt almost a year later. 

A total rebuild of many of the city's buildings, roads and utilities is now underway in earnest. However, such is the scale of the task at hand, that it is predicted that local resources will soon become exhausted. New Zealand's authorities are now turning to UK construction firms for support in the epic mission to rebuild the city. A number of firms are already involved in the rebuild, including construction recruitment firm, Number 8. In anticipation of the influx of UK workers the firm has recently set up an office in Christchurch. 

The firm say that there is unprecedented demand for virtually every type of trade profession related to the construction industry, not to mention the significant support services required to facilitate the rebuild. Traditionally opportunities have been limited to professionals such as engineers, quantity surveyors and project managers etc. However, Number 8 advise that the feedback from local contractors has clearly included trades and general labour as being severely under resourced.

The regional Canterbury Board (CESB) exhibited at a London recruitment expo last weekend and will go on to exhibit this weekend in Manchester in a bid to attract as many skilled workers as possible.