Every NZ Mayor Now A Mayors Taskforce for Jobs Member

7 May 2013

Every New Zealand Mayor Now A Mayors Taskforce for Jobs Member

All New Zealand Mayors have now joined the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs which aims to see every young New Zealander under 25 engaged in education or work.

The Mayors of Tauranga (Stuart Crosby) and Chatham Islands (Alfred Preece) are the latest representatives to join the Taskforce which now has 67 members.

Taskforce Chair, Mayor Dale Williams says the 100 percent commitment is a strong signal to local communities and central government that local government wants economic growth in its regions, training for the skills required to sustain local employers and jobs for all young people.

“Since the Taskforce started in 2000 with seven mayors, it has been focused on the goal to have those under 25 engaged in appropriate education, training, work or other activities that contribute to their long-term economic independence and well-being,” says Mr Williams who is the Mayor of Otorohonga.

“Now everyone has signed up, the Taskforce really is a force to be reckoned with and we will work together to ensure our young people have a bright future.”

The Taskforce has a Memorandum of Understanding with the government and is working with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment in three regions - the Eastern Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay and Canterbury on labour market mapping.

Employer meetings will be held in the regions to present the information and for employers and other interested parties to advise government and explore local specific target projects which may include how employers can be more confident in taking on new workers, as well as how local and central government can support businesses to be successful.

The Taskforce and individual Mayors support a number of projects particularly those focused around the Taskforce’s Youth to Work Strategy, including Auckland’s Youth Connections, Hawkes Bay’s Youth Futures, Rangitikei’s HYPE (Helping Youth Prepare 4 Employment) Project and Clutha’s Zero Youth Employment Project.

The Taskforce executive recently visited Australia to investigate the Australian Employment Covenant, which targeted 50,000 jobs for indigenous Australians and reached its target in 3 years.

The Taskforce is now developing a similar initiative for New Zealand to be included in its next three-year strategic plan, which will continue to support Mayors leadership and their community’s ownership in their goal of the ‘zero waste of youth’.

ENDS

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