What the Mayors Are Up To?

    Current activities, projects and leadership on employment issues by Mayors participating in the Taskforce for Jobs includes :

    GARRY MOORE (Christchurch)

  • Gained Christchurch Principals' support for a destinations and tracking proposal with Career Services and Skill NZ which will ensure no young person in Christchurch will leave school with nowhere to go
  • Launched a campaign to find 2001 jobs in Christchurch in the year 2001. The campaign has identified 800 new jobs to date.
  • Developed a partnership with the Department of Work and Income and the Canterbury Development Corporation which will provide youth case workers in all offices
  • Facilitates a youth employment group to advise on local projects
  • Advocate for a public works programme in Christchurch

    • CLAIRE STEWART (New Plymouth)

  • Written to all community groups asking them to consider employing a young person. Ten people are participating in the programme currently.
  • Approaching philanthropic Trusts asking for support to pay young peoples education costs
  • Allocated Council Funds for youth project
  • Supported partnership with Far North Distric Council (Venture Northland) and Southland District Council (Venture Southland)

    • DEREK FOX (Wairoa)

  • Promoting the development of flexible training programmes in horticulture and forestry
  • Revitalising the Wairoa Development Taskforce to get local agencies to work together more effectively
  • Promoting alliances with Maori Trust Boards on employment projects
  • Working with Community Employment Group to develop walking trails
  • Promoting a forum in Wairoa with employers and employees particularly focussing on rural workers

    • SUKHI TURNER (Dunedin)

  • Facilitating a youth employment group involving eight youth agencies, to take action on the Mayors first goal
  • Revitalised the local employment co-ordination (LEC) group to get better co-ordination between agencies working on employment
  • Promoting partnerships with philanthropic Trusts to fund employment projects

    • JENNY BRASH (Porirua)

  • Initiated and launched the One More Worker campaign in Porirua
  • Organised high school students to visit industries to learn about job opportunities
  • Promoting trade training for Maori and Pacific Island people
  • Advocate for the reinstatement of the training allowance for 16 and 17 year olds
  • Promoting the use of council contracts to increase apprenticeships
  • Promoting apprenticeship and cadet training programmes within Councils
  • Supporting the development of a business incubator in Porirua
  • Supporting Pacific Island fono with church leaders
  • Promoting Council Careers Expo
  • Gained principals' support for a destinations and tracking proposal with Career Services and Skill NZ which will ensure that no young person in Porirua will leave school with nowhere to go.

    • JOHN CHAFFEY (Hurunui)

  • Promoted and facilitated the establishment of a tourism academy. Thirty-five people currently participating in programmes for dairying and hospitality.
  • Encouraging better employment practices within the dairy industry
  • Advocating to reduce the digital divide through consultation with rural sector groups.

    • TIM SHADBOLT (Invercargill)

  • Promoting the use of community wealth for economic development and employment creation
  • Championed partnerships between local philanthropic trusts and Council to provide free fees for students at Southland Institute of Technology
  • Working with Te Araroa Trust to develop trail in the South Island

    • JILL WHITE (Palmerston North)

  • Facilitating the co-ordination of local employment agencies
  • Organising a forum on youth unemployment to gather information and then develop solutions
  • Promoting a local work experience programme
  • Supporting the Manawatu Apprenticeship Trust to increase apprenticeships in the Palmerston North

    • GRAEME RAMSEY (Kaipara)

  • Advocate for the re-opening of waterways in the Kaipara Harbour to promote tourism and increase job opportunities. Some government funds secured for project.
  • Advocate for a public works programme in Kaipara District
  • Supporting a garden project in Dargaville with the assistance of the ASB Charitable Trust.
  • Supporting collective Northland strategy and initiatives

    • BASIL MORRISON (Hauraki)

  • Advocate for special immigration and investment policies leading to employment in the regions
  • Supporting local employment network

    • YVONNE SHARP (Far North)

  • Promoting environment projects as public works programmes including working with the Te Araroa Trust.
  • Advocate for specific apprenticeships programmes for Northland
  • Supporting Northland Mayoral forum and economic development strategy
  • Advocate for increased school/business links
  • Supported partnership with Taranaki (Venture Taranaki) and Southland (Venture Southland)
  • Supporting organic growers with information packs and plants to schools
  • Engaging support of local papers to promote new job creation
  • Advocating the flexible use of current government expenditure in the region

    • FRANA CARDNO (Southland)

  • Promoting use of community groups for delivering regional development initiatives
  • Advocating longer term and increased funding for community groups
  • Advocating for upgrading telecommunications in the regions. Southland selected as a pilot for government project on band width.
  • Facilitating the co-ordination of local agencies involved in employment
  • Supported partnership with Taranaki (Venture Taranaki) and Northland (Venture Northland)

    • MARK BLUMSKY (Wellington)

  • Supporting a youth strategy in Wellington
  • Promoting an apprenticeship skill scheme
  • Supporting the local employment co-ordination (LEC) group

    • PAT O'DEA (Buller)

  • Advocating for an access road to open a gold mine and provide new jobs
  • Advocating better promotion of the region
  • Supporting the Deep Sea Fishing School
  • Promoting proposal to assist small business with compliance costs
  • Supporting business and community networking through Council's Economic Development board

    • ALAN DICK (Napier)

  • Supporting a study to identify potential target investors and judge how well the city's infrastructure and services meet their needs
  • Working with the local employment co-ordination (LEC) group to co-ordinate services and promote new training and employment initiatives
  • Advocating collaborative action to prevent anti-social behaviour from young people.

    • CRAIG BROWN (Whangarei)

  • Facilitating the development of the boat building industry in Whangarei
  • Encouraging new training programmes for boat building in conjunction with private providers and the local polytechnic
  • Supporting mayoral forums on regional issues
  • Promoting the development of an economic development strategy for Northland. Gained central government support for Northland collective vision.

    • MARY OGG (Gore)

  • Promoting a better image of farming to job seekers
  • Developed close working relationships with local Department of Work and Income offices

    • JIM ABERNETHY (Kaikoura)

  • Working closely with the Department of Work and Income to ensure job seekers are able to take up job opportunities

    • DON RIESTERER (Opotiki)

  • Championing the job creation potential that will come from more Councils adopting "zero waste" to landfill strategies

    • CHAS POYNTER (Wanganui)

  • Supporting partnerships with local authorities and iwi to develop a job creation strategy
    • Compiled April 2001 by Jan Francis, Executive Officer of Mayors Taskforce for Jobs, c/- Christchurch City Council, P.O.Box 237, Christchurch