Reducing youth unemployment essential task for NZ economy

Reducing the high rate of youth unemployment in New Zealand must be treated as an urgent priority if the country is to measure up on the world stage in years to come, says Foundation for Youth Development (FYD) co-founder Graeme Dingle.

Figures released by Statistics NZ this week show unemployment for those aged between 15 -19 years at 27.5%, an increase from 25.5% in the last quarter, and for those aged between 20-24 an increase from 11.4% to 13.5%.

Furthermore the statistics show that of the 75,000 15–24 year olds who were unemployed in the March 2011 quarter, 44,500 (59%) were neither studying nor looking after children. This compares with 37,500 (or 57%) in March 2010*.

“Youth unemployment is a growing issue and one that will have a huge impact on the country if it is left to fester,” says Dingle. “The cost is simply unaffordable in the long run.”

It is imperative, Dingle states, that more effort is placed into both helping young people stay in school longer and in making that transition from school/study into skilled employment.

“New Zealand is currently building a generation of disenfranchised youngsters, when what we should be doing is inspiring them to stay in school until they have a sense of direction, an area of interest and an idea of where they are headed – essential momentum to take themselves forward.”

Dingle also says that the Government and business community need to work together to ensure that once finished study young people have opportunities to enter the workforce and gain experience.

For Dingle the announcement this week of a $55M youth opportunities package is a step in the right direction.

“It’s all very well to say to these kids ‘stay in school’, ‘go to uni’, ‘get a skill’, but, once they have completed these things, someone has to be willing to give them a shot. We all need to pay our part,” he says.

“The Government’s youth opportunities package is an encouraging initiative focussing on skills acquisition, gainful employment and enticing businesses to employ young people and get involved in making their career a success. I applaud those businesses who are taking the chance, it’s worth the risk. These kids are our leaders of tomorrow.”

Founded in 1995 as the Project K Trust by Graeme Dingle and Jo-anne Wilkinson, FYD is now a leader in the field of youth development and runs several, proven programmes – Kiwi Can, Stars, Project K and MYND.

FYD programmes use the great outdoors, inspirational classroom leaders and world class mentors to help kids from age 5 to 18 keep on track, develop confidence and self-belief and create goals for the future.

Programmes focus on leadership skills, building confidence, developing life skills and teambuilding to help kids discover possibility and motivation, creating a youth population with a positive outlook and eyes open to the future.

FYD’s programmes are run in 20 regions across New Zealand by licensed community trusts, together reaching over 18 000 young people every year.