 No.185 20 May 2003
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“ Giving young people a good start and building their skills is essential if they are to have the opportunity to move into meaningful employment. The Budget employment and training package targets the group of young people who neither enrol in tertiary study nor get a job after leaving school. Both the Labour and Progressive partners in the coalition government made firm manifesto commitments to work with this group of young people as matter of priority ...” |
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Education and Training Package
NZ Government Summary
GATEWAY
The Gateway programme was introduced in 2001 and provides senior school students (years 11-13) with a range of structured learning opportunities in workplaces. Learning opportunities are integrated with students' school-based studies. For some students, Gateway provides the opportunity to make progress in gaining a national qualification in their career of choice. For others, it allows more general skills to be applied in a work context, helping students to better understand the relevance of such skills and their classroom learning. 1,000 students in 24 schools, and over 200 employers participated in the pilot programme during 2001 and 2002. It was expanded to a further 39 schools in 2003.
Gateway will be progressively expanded to all 1-5 decile secondary schools, making it available to 12,000 students annually in 203 schools from 2007. The expansion will see Gateway opportunities offered to 5,000 students in 2004.
MODERN APPRENTICESHIPS
Modern Apprenticeships was a `100 days' policy introduced by the incoming Labour-led government in 2000. Modern Apprenticeships offer work-based learning for young people (16-21 years), combining the best aspects of traditional apprenticeships with new features to assist more young people to get access to employment-based training and achieve national qualifications. It has grown rapidly, with 5,102 Modern Apprentices learning on the job across 28 industries as at 31 March 2003.
Modern Apprenticeships will be expanded to 6,000 places by December 2003 and then to 7,500 places during 2006.
TRANSITION FROM CARE TO INDEPENDENCE
This pilot programme will work with 100 young people each year aged 15-17 in the Auckland region who are leaving state care to live independently. Support will be provided prior to, and for up to two years after, these young people are discharged from state care. Support will be individualised according to the particular needs of the young person concerned and could involve, for example, contracted support services from community social service agencies, the assignment of a personal advisor and/or financial assistance to enable them to set up a home for themselves in the community.
YOUTH TRANSITION TO WORK REGIONAL INITIATIVES
Work and Income Regional Commissioners will develop or enhance existing services for young people who are leaving school early (those aged 15-17 years old) without concrete plans to enter education, training or work. Support provided to these young people will be designed to prevent them from entering the pool of unemployment benefit recipients once they reach the qualifying age of 18. Each of Work and Income's 13 regions will have the flexibility to design support services that meet the particular needs of local young people. Regional programmes will be evaluated and good examples will be expanded to other parts of the country. Likely support services include:
— contracted work broker services like the Canterbury Development Corporation's Action Works programme
— providing Work and Income specialist staff to work with marae, school-based, Pacific and other groups supporting local young people; and
— in partnership with other organisations, establishing community-based `one stop shops' for young people offering services like career development and budget advice.
Up to 650 young people will be catered for individually. Programmes benefiting a wider range of young people will also be developed under this initiative.
YOUTH TRAINING POST PLACEMENT SUPPORT
Providing additional support for young people who have completed youth training programmes once they are in the workforce was recommended in Building Futures, the review of training opportunities and youth training which reported to the government in May 2002. Advice and mentoring will be introduced for these young people, including support for them to continue learning once they start work (for example, to complete a qualification part-time). An incentive payment will also be piloted for youth training providers whose learners achieve sustainable employment or further education outcomes. Up to 1,800 young people will be assisted each year under this expanded programme.
ALLOWANCES FOR 16-17 YEAR OLDS
Eligibility to apply for student allowances will be restored from 1 January 2004 to 16 and 17 year olds who have completed year 13 high schooling, or who have success in University Bursary/NCEA Level 3 if they have not completed year 13. This removes the anomalous situation some young people contemplating tertiary study find themselves in largely because of the month in which their birthday falls. Eligibility criteria to obtain student allowances will be the same as for older students. It is estimated that 392 16-17 year olds will qualify for student allowances over the next four years.
A pilot programme will also provide assistance with living costs for a small group of young people who have not completed year 13, but for whom alternative education options will be more beneficial and who need to move away from home to pursue these options. Equine education programmes like those offered by Telford Rural Polytechnic in Balclutha are examples of the type of alternative education options it is anticipated this initiative will support. Policy work to further develop this proposal is still to be completed.
CAREER PLANNING PILOT FOR AT-RISK YOUTH
Three projects assisting 30 young people each will be piloted in three communities during 2004 (costs spread over fiscal years 2003/04 and 2004/05). The pilots will be run by Career Services and will focus on young people who have left school, are too young to qualify for welfare assistance, and who are considered `at-risk' because they have no concrete plans to enter further education or employment. The pilots will use a model developed by Career Services in Whangarei and will test a range of intensive support and motivational services. The pilots will identify the best ways to help this group of young people to set clear, well-informed career goals and follow them through. Information gathered will be used to enhance career information, advice and guidance support already offered to young people.
