Kiwi Mary Poppins In Short Supply

Mary Poppins returns to London in 2018, courtesy of Walt Disney, but it’s increasingly unlikely that she’s going to have a Kiwi accent according to Vicki Kenny, the founder of Nannies Abroad and International Working Holidays (IWH), the specialist overseas employment agencies. 

Vicki says: ‘There is a shortage of Kiwi Nannies - so we can’t find enough to place in jobs in the UK or the USA.  I think the reason for this is that the “nanny” here in New Zealand has all but disappeared due to au pairs coming in from overseas and taking up the childcare role which nannies once had.  Eight years ago no one had an au pair in New Zealand - now nearly everyone has had one or has one. The nanny schools here in New Zealand are finding it difficult to fill the classes for nanny qualifications and so we are facing a shortage of candidates.’ 

`Qualified Kiwi nannies are in high demand around the world. In the UK, Canada and the USA, where we have placed New Zealand nannies and au pairs since 1994, it’s a boom time for New Zealanders wanting to have a working holiday overseas. We are placing hundreds of mothers’ helps and au pairs internationally every year through www.nanniesabroad.co.nz but we just can’t get enough nannies to meet all the requests.’ 

• The average gross annual salary of a live-in nanny in central London is currently £21,604 with employers also paying for heating, electricity, phone bills, often a car or travel expenses and food.

• Although Au pairs are not paid as much as nannies they are treated as a member of their hosts’ family. They don’t need formal child care qualifications, are typically younger (often gap year students) and only work up to 25 hours a week plus two nights of babysitting. They receive board, lodging and an allowance, a minimum of £65-£70 a week as recommended by the UK Home Office. Because an au pair lives in, the minimum wage law does not apply.

Vicki Kenny adds: `Nannies Abroad Au Pair Plus and Mothers Help candidates - work slightly more hours and get paid more than the au pair rate, which tends to be reserved for non English speakers. We’ve been helping New Zealanders find great jobs overseas for a long time now. We provide expert help in finding the right placement. We make it easy to organise so you can experience a life changing adventure overseas, safely and legally.’

Note to editors:

If you would like to talk to a young New Zealander who has returned from working as a nanny or au pair overseas, let us know and we’ll put you in touch with someone.

Further information:

http://www.nanniesabroad.co.nz

http://www.iwh.co.nz

Vicki Kenny, IWH: 027 670 9968