‘Career Capable Auckland’ Launched to Tackle $2.6 billion in Lost Youth Productivity and Public Finance
AUCKLAND – Dec. 10, 2012 – ‘Career Capable Auckland’, a public private partnership between Fuji Xerox New Zealand,
Careers New Zealand, Employers and Manufacturers Association Northern (EMA) and BusinessNZ will be launched on Monday 10
December. The partnership aims to improve transitions from school through study and training to work.
Research, undertaken by associate professor Gail Pacheco of the New Zealand Work Research Institute at AUT University
Business School, showed that over the next three years, the cost of poor transitions for young people could be valued at
$2.6 billion in lost productivity and public finance – more than four times New Zealand’s annual dairy exports of milk
powder, butter and cheese. The research showed that the current group (as at March 2012) of 95,100 young people not in
education, employment or training (NEET) will ultimately cost New Zealand as much as $23.5 billion during their lifetime
(in present value terms). This is equivalent to 14% of New Zealand’s annual GDP or double New Zealand’s education budget
for 2012/13.
The project is the brainchild of Neil Whittaker, Managing Director of Fuji Xerox New Zealand and Phil O’Reilly, Chief
Executive of BusinessNZ.
“If New Zealand is to succeed at creating a sustainable, high performing economy, we need to secure the economic and
social success of New Zealand,” said Phil O’Reilly, Chief Executive of BusinessNZ. “Our handbrake to growth today is the
inability of businesses to recruit skilled tradespeople or find people with engineering, IT or healthcare skills. Yet,
we face high unemployment rates of over 270,000 people, a third of which are our young people.”
“In New Zealand we need to do everything well. We need electricians and plumbers, farmers and accountants, clinicians
and computer programmers. Our challenge is to connect our young people to the many career opportunities available to
them and give them the tools to make informed decisions,” he added.
“It is important that we support New Zealanders and their career pathways so that they are empowered to chart an
exciting course of their own that supports the country’s economic growth,” said Neil Whittaker, Managing Director of
Fuji Xerox New Zealand.
“Our company vision at Fuji Xerox is to be a strong, kind and interesting organisation demonstrated by our social
commitment to the education sector and the potential of our young people in this country. The success of this
public-private partnership will be in the collaboration between central and local government, corporates and business,
schools and tertiary institutions bringing us one step toward helping build a ‘Career Capable Auckland’, a roadmap which
can be replicated across New Zealand,” he added.
Career development is an essential component of growing a strong and effective labour market. A career capable city is
one where its people are competent decision makers and planners who can navigate a successful career pathway. It is one
where business is enabled by a skilled workforce, and the economy prospers through a strong motivated labour market.
Developed as part of the partnership, a publication called A Career Capable Auckland: Realising Our Potential discusses
a way for growing Auckland’s potential through developing a career capable workforce. It outlines an integrated approach
to career development for young people and disengaged communities.
A pilot programme called “My Career Portfolio”, an online career management tool, is being piloted initially in Albany
Senior High School, and next year in five schools across Auckland. MyCareer Portfolio utilises an existing online
educational resource, My Portfolio, which supports school-leavers transitioning from secondary school to training or
work.
The programme will enable school leavers to interact directly with businesses from a range of industry sectors. More
than 20 companies from BusinessNZ’s Major Companies Group are assisting the programme.
“Our economic success depends upon highly competent, flexible and career capable people,” said Dr Graeme Benny, Careers
New Zealand Chief Executive. “Connecting secondary school leavers to businesses and tertiary institutions will help them
navigate the many work and training opportunities open to them. By developing career management competencies, school
leavers will recognise the importance of tertiary training and develop self-awareness to seek better opportunities.”
On Monday 10 December, ‘Career Capable Auckland’ will be launched at an event featuring Len Brown, Mayor of Auckland;
Neil Whittaker, Managing Director of Fuji Xerox New Zealand; Dr Gail Pacheco, Associate Professor, Department of
Economics Faculty of Business, AUT University; Dr Graeme Benny, Chief Executive of Careers New Zealand; Phil O’Reilly,
Chief Executive of BusinessNZ and Kim Campbell, Chief Executive of EMA Northern.
The Hon. Steven Joyce, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment welcomes the launch and the work the
partnership is doing to create a ‘career capable’ Auckland. He states in a letter to the partnership, “I am a firm
believer that with better information and clearer pathways towards good employment outcomes, that there will be better
outcomes for individuals and a positive effect for the whole economy. The initiatives that have culminated in the launch
today are a great example of how businesses, educators, students and their families can all be linked into informed
decisions on study options and careers.”
ENDS