Jeremy Tarr is an engineering graduate who is keen and capable to work, but he's not been given the opportunity to showcase his skills because he has a disability.
Some New Zealand businesses over the past year have struggled to fill vacancies with borders closed to overseas workers.
But Tarr is part of an untapped workforce that is ready, willing and able to work - they're just being turned down time and time again.
According to Stats NZ, only 22.5 per cent of disabled New Zealanders are employed, compared to 69.3 per cent of non-disabled.
Less than half of young disabled people aged 15 to 24 are employed or in training, compared with just 10.6 per cent of the wider population.
For Tarr, he said the journey trying to get into work had been "a tough ride".
He told Breakfast he has applied for around 50 jobs in the past year, but his search for employment hasn't progressed beyond six interviews.
"I'm hopeful, but I just need someone to take a chance and believe in me.
"There's some work that needs to be done with getting us into the work environment."
The 27-year-old thinks employers were open to it, but more understanding and encouragement was needed.
"I'd really like to be some kind of design engineer. I'd like to kind of change the world or improve on things we already have, but small steps at a time. Just trying to find my way into the workplace and build on those skills I already have," Tarr said.
"I have a lot of good skills in my repertoire, I'm eager to learn and I just need someone to give me a chance and I'll do some good work for you."
Centre for Possibility chief executive Minnie Baragwanath said there were many others in a similar boat too.
"Jeremy is the prototype of the kind of talent we have and we want to match with employers right now," she said.
"I think that we have right now, with the Covid environment we're all living in, is why wouldn't we be prioritising connecting with this incredible, skilled workforce we have right here, right now in New Zealand?
"We've been the world leaders around Covid and a pandemic, why not set our sights on becoming the world leader around inclusive and accessible employment?"
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