Wendy McGuinness and Dr Patrick Nolan, Principal Advisor to the Economics and Research team at the
New Zealand Productivity Commission, visited Gisborne on Tuesday 25 March as part of the East Coast stretch of the TalentNZ Tour. The ideas of the TalentNZ project were warmly received by Gisborne locals at the public event, hosted by Councillor Andy Cranston at the Gisborne District Council Chambers at 5pm. The group discussed the potential for the Institute’s ‘Menu of Initiatives’ to attract a growing talent-base in Gisborne.
Dr Patrick Nolan, brought an international perspective to the discussions, having recently returned to
New Zealand after working for several years at the British think tank Reform.
The Gisborne Herald covered the event with a weekend article entitled ‘Where talent is King’. The article highlighted particular points of interest for Gisborne, including a focus on people and talent rather than jobs and capital. Silicon Valley was used as an example of where this thinking shift has grown and created a world renowned technology sector. The big questions for Gisborne will be how best to use the conversations sparked by the TaletnNZ visit to establish this thinking to create a talent based economy in their district.
Dr Patrick Nolan in Gisborne.