Region’s Employment Success to be Celebrated

Taranaki’s great efforts to make unemployment among young people a thing of the past will be celebrated at an event at 10am tomorrow (Wednesday) in New Plymouth District Council’s Civic Centre.

In Taranaki, just 18 young people (aged 19 and under) were registered as unemployed on 31 January – down 76 per cent on the 76 registered unemployed at the same time last year.

All 18 of the young unemployed people in Taranaki have been registered as unemployed for fewer than 13 weeks and have had intensive case management and support to get them into work or training.

Says Work and Income Regional Commissioner Gloria Campbell: “This low unemployment figure has come about because of the determination by various agencies and people in the community to work collaboratively to bring the unemployment figure among our young people down to zero.

“Programmes such as Taranaki’s Youth Transition Service have been critical to the success achieved. This programme targets young people who are out of school or work and supports them at critical times in their lives towards long-term independence through training or work,” she says.

The Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ) is a nation-wide initiative to have all young people aged 25 and under in either work or training, while the Shared Goal between MTFJ and the Government sets the goal for all people aged 19 and under.

New Plymouth District Council is the only council in New Zealand to have made the MTFJ goals part of its strategic planning.

“NPDC signed onto the Mayors’ taskforce about eight years ago, and everything our councillors and staff do in the youth area is measured against this goal,” says Mayor Peter Tennent.

“Although this council has led by example through its cadet and apprenticeship programmes, it’s the community that has really made Taranaki’s efforts against unemployment a success.

“There is a large number of organisations and individuals in the community who have acknowledged the importance of giving our young people a break and helped drive down the unemployment figures. Without their total buy-in, this would not have been possible!”

Says Ms Campbell: “When young people are in work and are contributing to the future of this region, they are making better lives for themselves and creating a stronger community.

“The personal development of young people as they go through training or build up skills in their jobs is wonderful to see.

“It has taken years of work to get here, and we’re in a very strong position to continue the success we have achieved to date,” she says.

Youth unemployment figures on 31 January last year saw Hawera with 10 youth on unemployment benefit, New Plymouth with 47, Stratford with 12 and Waitara with seven – a total of 76. The 18 youth on unemployment benefit on 31 January this year came from Hawera (two), New Plymouth (nine), Stratford (three) and Waitara (four).

Representatives of various employer, trainer, educator, job placements, health, literacy, economy and local government groups will be at tomorrow’s celebration.