Chester Borrows: Value of work undeniable for youth

"IF YOU don't work you don't eat."
It's an old adage, but one still heard often enough. It is too simplistic to account for the many reasons why young people may be out of work, but the value of work is undeniable. One in three young Maori males are out of work and one in four working aged teenagers are out of work. We have to move and move fast before the dejection of short-term unemployment becomes a long term.
Young New Zealanders were hit hard by the recession. In a tight employment market, young people applying for jobs often lose out to older, more experienced candidates.
That's not the end of it. The younger a person is when they go on an unemployment benefit, the harder it is for them to come off it. If our young people are missing out and not learning the skills and gaining experience they need, we all stand to lose in the future.
A few weeks ago I attended the graduation of a group of young men who had completed a Limited Service Volunteers (LSV) programme. They'd gone into this programme unemployed and without direction for any sort of career. They returned from the six-week training with far more confidence and motivation than when they left. Most had been offered a job straight out of the course with the freezing works, and the others are well on their way to finding a job. It's the kind of programme that works.
Last week Social Development and Employment Minister Paula Bennett announced a Youth Employment Package that would see the LSV programme given far more resources to provide skills and training for young people so they're work-ready for good, solid jobs.
The other two components of this package include Job Ops with Training and the Skills for Growth initiative. During the past two years, our Job Ops programme has given employment opportunities to 10,000 young Kiwis. Of those completing the programme, 90 per cent have not gone back on a benefit. In the Whanganui electorate we've had 241 young people fill a Job Ops position and receive training. The new Job Ops with Training is a refocused version of Job Ops, and will provide a flexible subsidy of $5000 to employers that can be used for wages and training. It will also require the employer to develop a training plan that results in skill development for the young person.
Skills for Growth provides a subsidy for employers to employ and train young people in high-demand industries such as aged care, horticulture and agriculture. Employers there also get a $5000 subsidy for training and in-work support to help the young person achieve a recognised industry qualification to NZQF Level Two.
This week I paid a visit to INTRANZ (Industry Training NZ) to see the great stuff going on right here in Wanganui to encourage young people into jobs. Their trade and industry based training is an example of employers and companies stepping up to teach young people the things they need to know to get a good job. It's not just another learning institute, there are plenty of those, but a practical and responsive programme that builds the specific confidence-giving knowledge and skills that trades and industry need.
As we look to the next Budget and the country debates the economics of the nation, it's good to know that there are strong moves happening at a government level and in our electorate to ensure our young people get the best deal possible.