As part of their strategy to reduce youth unemployment, the mayors are backing the ITF's call to set a new target of 10,000 Modern Apprentices by the middle of 2006, up from the current target of 8,000. The ITF is also calling on the government to provide better funding to realistically reach the government's goal of having 250,000 people in industry training by 2007.

At the meeting, Maharey agreed to look at setting 10,000 as a new target for Modern Apprentices. And the minister agreed to get the Department of Labour to do policy and research work on establishing just what the sustainable number of Modern Apprentices is in the current economy.

The programme starts with eight weeks in a classroom environment where potential cadets study for credits in employment skills, first aid, budgeting and self-assessment skills. At the conclusion of this initial training, 14 of the trainees will be selected to become council cadets and will continue active training with either one of the Far North, Kaipara or Whangarei District Councils or with the Northland Regional Council.

Far North Mayor Yvonne Sharp: "What we are offering is tangible experience with a reasonable expectation of long-term employment opportunities — showing these young people that they are a valuable asset to our communities and that they have a lot to contribute..."

Source - Press Release Northland Mayoral Forum 11 August 2004 "Regional Cadetship Project Underway".

YOUTH TRANSITIONS STRATEGY

Casey: "There is a lot that the Auckland City Council can do to create local jobs. We intend to ensure that all avenues for local job creation are explored, including incorporating the Mayors Taskforce goals into the council's strategic plan to give council staff authority to spend their time on developing and supporting the youth employment initiatives, and developing strategic relationships between the council and those communities particularly disadvantaged in the Auckland labour market. There are a number of ways that the city council can be proactive in reducing youth unemployment — like setting up cadetship programme for employing young people within council departments, and establishing scholarships for young people to study in areas where Auckland City is experiencing skill shortages."

Source - Press Release City Vision 1 September 2004 "Is Banks Really Committed to Local Employment?"

New Zealand has operated special arrangements for Samoan arrivals for more than 30 years and for other island states since 2001, but Swain says the criteria is proving too difficult for many who want to come to New Zealand. Only about half the 1,100 places reserved for Samoans and the 650 under the Pacific Access Category, which includes Tonga, Fiji, Tuvalu and Kiribati, are being filled each year.

Part of the problem is that candidates have to apply from their home country and have a job offer in New Zealand that would pay a minimum of $31,566 a year. This means eligible people living in New Zealand on temporary or other visas have to return home in order to make their application.

Under the changes, required earning levels will be lowered to $25,585, and applicants could combine their prospective income with that of a spouse or partner. Requirements regarding a job offer, health, English language proficiency and character are not being changed, but the government would introduce systems to fast-track the checking of job offers so this could be done within 14 days.

Source - Dominion Post 14 August 2004 "Rules eased to boost Pacific migration" by Martin Kay. New Zealand Herald 14 August 2004 "Government eases access for Islanders" by Angela Gregory.

Hays general manager Jason Walker says that while a large part of the workforce maintains the traditional concept of a full-time job, there is a notable number of potential employees with a preference or need for employment with flexible options that allows them to balance work and personal commitments such as parenting, study or part-time retirement. Walker: "As the candidate market tightens, this employment flexibility becomes especially important as a valuable attraction strategy. In Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, we've noticed a steady growth of flexible approaches over the last five years and we expect this to continue."

Source - Press release, Hays, 2 August 2004, "Flexible staffing approaches on the rise".

Newman's second step would be to introduce a six-month time limit on welfare for the able-bodied. The third step would be a full-time individualised work experience programme designed to support people who could not find a job by making them ready for work, developing the habits, skills and disciplines of the workforce.

Newman would initially target only those on the unemployment benefit but eventually extend to domestic purposes beneficiaries once their youngest child was at school.

Source - NZPA 16 August "NZ, Aust, Britain `out of line' on welfare - ACT" by Sharon Lundy. NZPA 16 August 2004 "Put sole parents to work, says Act".

Source - Dominion Post 25 August 2004 "Maharey's dream run" by David McLoughlin

US PRESIDENT BUSH FACES HOOVER LEGACY

The figures: From January 2001 through August 2003, U.S. employers shed 2.6 million jobs. About two-thirds of those positions were recovered over the last 12 months, but the job count today remains 913,000 below where it was when Bush took office. Bush needs to see almost 250,000 new jobs created each month between now and the end of the year in order to replace all the jobs lost since he took power in 2000. The July figure was a weak 73,000, and the just-announced August figure only 144,000.

Herbert Hoover, also a Republican, was US President from 1929-33. During his presidency, there was the stock market crash of 1929 and the huge job losses of the early years of the Great Depression. The shanty-towns which appeared on the edge of large cities were dubbed "Hoovervilles". The comparison with Hoover is one that hurts the Bush re-election campaign ... especially as his own term in office follows eight years of economic boom under Bill Clinton.

Source - BBC News 5 September 2004 "US recovery not helping workers"; Reuters 3 September 2004 "US Jobs figures hit bonds, shares"; NSBC 3 September 2004 "Bush, Kerry spar over new jobs data"; Guardian Weekly 27 August 2004 "Why Bush fears Hoover's mantle"; CNN Money 26 August 2004 "Poverty Spreads"

Retail giant Wal-Mart continues to be the largest employer in the United States, employing over one million workers. It is the largest food retailer in the US and the third largest pharmacy in the nation. The company employs about 44,000 workers in California alone, and has plans to expand significantly in that state over the next four years. Wal-Mart workers, however, receive about a third less in wages than workers employed in the other large retail stores. The average Wal-Mart wage is $9.70 per hour compared to $14 average hourly earnings in other large retail firms. Wal-Mart workers are also less likely to have health benefits.