Labour pledges guaranteed jobs for NZ-graduated nurses
The New Zealand Labour Party has pledged $525 million to guarantee public health sector jobs for all eligible nursing graduates if elected. The policy aims to address the nursing shortage and prevent graduates from moving overseas for better pay.
Why it matters
Healthcare workforce retention is a critical issue for New Zealand, with political parties proposing different strategies to manage the public health system crisis.
<p>Labour says if elected it will guarantee jobs in the public health sector for all eligible New Zealand-trained nurses who graduate. </p> <p>As part of the election pledge, eligible New Zealand-trained <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/08/20/nursing-graduate-applies-for-more-than-100-jobs-without-success/" target="_blank">graduate nurses</a> would be offered a role through the existing Advanced Choice of Employment (ACE) and primary care employment schemes. </p> <p>The party said the Graduate Nurse Job Guarantee would cost $525 million, funded from health cost-pressure funding. </p> <p>Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the guarantee would mean all of the estimated 2400 nurses who graduate a year would get a job offer at graduation, for at least 0.8 full-time equivalent (FTE).
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