Nine To Noon for Tuesday 28 September 2021

 

 

09:05 Businesses welcome self-isolation pilot, but warn many sectors crippled by skill shortages

Applications open next week for the government's home self-isolation pilot. 150 spots are available for businesses wanting to send staff on overseas trips, and cellphone facial and fingerprint recognition will be used to ensure people stay home while they isolate. Business leaders are welcoming the pilot, but say many sectors are crippled by skill shortages, and they want a clear plan from government on the pathway forward. Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive, Leeann Watson.

09:20 Digital sector jobs vacancies escalating

One of the sectors facing a serious short-fall in skilled workers is the technology sector. A recent industry report found the IT sector is over-reliant on overseas recruits,  and isn't properly developing home grown talent. Last week, Amazon's web arm last week announced an eight billion dollar plan to build data centres in Auckland by 2024, which it claims will create a thousand jobs and add nearly 11-billion dollars to GDP over the next 15 years. The plan still needs approval from the Overseas Investment Office. But a senior software consultant says there simply arn't the skilled people to fill 1000 new jobs in cloud computing. Bruce Jarvis, Group Manager of Digital Services at Callaghan Innovation, says the Amazon plan could in fact constrain the growth of New Zealand export businesses.

09:30 Rob Fyfe: the challenges of getting business and government working together

Kathryn speaks with the government's advisor on Covid 19, former Air New Zealand Chief Executive Rob Fyfe. He was appointed by the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to try to bring private and public sectors together to solve major issues related to Covid. What are the challenges of getting business and government working together ?

09:40 Shape shifting animals to cope with climate change 

An Australian study recently published in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution has shown some animals' body shapes are adapting and changing  to cope with climate change. Sara Ryding of Deakin University led the research team which used 3D scanning to investigate how birds are responding morphologically to warmer temperatures.

 

09:45 USA correspondent Ron Elving

Ron talks to Kathryn about the deadlines in the US to raise the country's debt ceiling, and the Democrats are hoping to pass the budget blueprint by the end of the week. And the struggle is ongoing to overcome resistance among anti-vaxxers and COVID deniers.

10:05 Lydia O'Donnell: Nike's Pacific head running coach 

Marathon runner and Nike Pacific head running coach Lydia O'Donnell is an advocate for a more female-centered approach to coaching women in running. She says understanding the physiology of a woman's body can be used to enhance a runner's progress, and that the menstrual cycle, rather than being the burden it's usually considered, can actually be used to a woman's advantage. She's founded Femmi, a team of female running coaches who create specialised running plans for women, which takes into account their menstrual cycle. She's also collaborated with Nike to create a training programme on the Nike Run Club app specifically for women. Originally from Tauranga, Lydia is now based in Melbourne, where she speaks to Kathryn. 

10:35 Book review: The Fran Lebowitz Reader by Fran Lebowitz

Leah McFall reviews the The Fran Lebowitz Reader by Fran Lebowitz, published by Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand

10:45 The Reading

11:05 Business commentator Rebecca Stevenson

 Rebecca talks to Kathryn about the growing chorus of tech company founders, exporters, CEOs and business owners frustrated about New Zealand's closed borders and the tightness at MIQ. 
 

Rebecca Stevenson is BusinessDesk's head of news.

11:30 New book details the lives of young gay men in New Zealand 

Mark Beehre has spent a decade working on his latest book - a collection of photos and stories of 27 young, gay men born after the passage of the Homosexual Law Reform Bill. He started the project while doing a Masters of Fine Arts, taking photographs and interviewing the men over a number a years. The result is A Queer Existence - The Lives of young gay men in Aotearoa New Zealand. The men may have been born into more accepting times than the generations before them, but many still describe the difficulties in coming out and feeling stigmatised.

11:45 Financial Planner Liz Koh - Creating a financial safety net 

At various times in our lives we take financial risks - buying a house, setting up a business, entering a new relationship. We also face other risks - job loss, illness, or the economic risks of high inflation and high interest rates. Financial planner Liz Koh has some tips for protecting yourself from these risks.

Liz Koh is a financial planner and specialising in retirement planning. This discussion is of a general nature, and does not constitute financial advice.

 

Music played in this show

Track: Mas Que Nada
Artist: Tamba Trio
Broadcast time: 10:35am 

Track: One Thing
Artist: Tami Neilson
Broadcast time: 11:30am