ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Creating Security and Opportunity for New Zealanders
A newsletter from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Jim Anderton, Minister for Economic, Industry and Regional
Development, on Labour Alliance Coalition Government economic development activities.
5 September 2001 / Issue No 5
This issue of Economic Development:
1 Jim Anderton announces - Business assistance and student employment package
2 Adult literacy receives $485,000 from economic development
3 $1.6m Government support for knowledge joint venture
4 Forestry alcohol and drug dependency barriers to jobs
5 Conferences - Innovation, regional development and economic development
6 Jim Anderton welcomes 200th Enterprise Award
7 Economic Development contacts
1 Jim Anderton announces - Business assistance and student employment package
On 16 August I announced a programme to help business and students. Called Snap, or the Student Needs Action Programme,
the intention is to match up students with relevant skills to businesses to work over summer.
Ideally the students will get work relevant to their study, and employers will get specialist expertise in areas where
special skills are needed. These could be web sites projects, marketing, reviews of policies, researching new products
or a range of other areas of work.
Employment Minister Steve Maharey and I visited an employer, MSO Design, who had hired a student part time. When she
finished her study they gave her a full time position. This is the sort of arrangement this Government is promoting
which helps both employers and students.
As well as encouraging employers to contact Student Job Search there will be up to 1000 new jobs in regions and
industries where there will be piloting of different ways to match up business and students.
Snap will be piloted in Auckland, Hamilton, Gisborne and Invercargill, and there will be a pilot targeted to Maori in
Canterbury as well as two industry-specific projects for manufacturing (lower North Island) and tourism (Northland) and
two indepth initiatives matching students and employers in South Auckland and Waitakere.
The details of the programme can be obtained by visiting www.snap.govt.nz or ringing Student Job Search. Industry New
Zealand and the Ministry of Economic Development are working on the programme with SJS and DWI.
In the next few months I will be inviting employers to identify special projects for which a student can be hired.
Jim Anderton
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister of Industry and Regional Development
2 Adult literacy receives $485,000 from economic development
The Minister for Industry and Regional Development Jim Anderton announced a total of $485,125 allocated to adult
literacy in the Bay of Plenty, Wanganui/Manawatu and Hawkes Bay.
The projects will run from July 2001 to June 2002 and use local organisations and businesses working together. The aim
is to raise the literacy, English language and numeracy skills of the local workforce.
"The skills shortages in regions and industries are occurring at the same time as we have skills shortages. If people
can't read they can't take up skilled jobs," said Jim Anderton.
The initiative is being funded out of the Ministry of Economic Development. The programmes have been developed in close
contact with Skill New Zealand and the Ministry of Education. It typifies the government’s whole of government approach
to complex issues and recognises that literacy is an education issue with implications for business and economic growth.
3 $1.6m Government support for knowledge joint venture
Ericsson Synergy's New Zealand-based centre for the development of mobile internet applications could receive up to $1.6
million of government funding over the next three years, around half of which will come from Industry New Zealand.
Economic Development Minister Jim Anderton, Research, Science and Technology Minister Pete Hodgson and Information
Technology and Communications Minister Paul Swain announced the funding on 9 August.
The $1.6 million of funding is made up of $750,000 from Industry New Zealand's Major Investment Fund and possible
funding on application of up to $850,000 from existing programmes provided by the Foundation for Research, Science and
Technology.
The Major Investment Fund of Industry New Zealand supports significant new investment in New Zealand. It assists New
Zealand and overseas investors to overcome barriers and reduce the costs of significant business expansion or setting up
major new businesses in New Zealand. The Ericsson Synergy grant is the first from the fund.
4 Forestry alcohol and drug dependency barriers to jobs
Deputy Prime Minister Jim Anderton is welcoming efforts to reduce alcohol and drug misuse in the forestry and wood
processing industry.
An initiative has been announced by the East Coast Forestry Industry Group, Alcohol and Drug Free Workplaces Charter.
The Charter includes education and rehabilitation. The Group is made up of key forestry companies on the East Coast.
The Charter follows work done on the Tairawhiti Development Taskforce and the Government initiated Wood Processing
Industry Steering Group.
There are also union led education programmes to help workers identify their issues and support them in taking action.
"I am pleased that all parts of the wood processing industry are taking the lead on the issue of forestry workers with
drug and alcohol dependency," said Jim Anderton.
5 Conferences
i) Regional Development Conference Rotorua on 28 and 29 November 2001.
Regional Development- A Springboard for growth
For the first time New Zealanders involved in regional development are coming together for a major conference supported
by Government
Already there has been significant interest in this conference which will cater for over 500 delegates.
Anyone interested in more information on the conference contact details are:
regdev@confer.co.nz
Conferences and Events Ltd
Fax:(03) 546 6020
Phone:(03) 546 6022
Brochures and registrations will be released in the next couple of weeks.
ii) Kiwi Innovation Conference – Christchurch 6-7 March 2002
The Kiwi Innovation Conference will celebrate the unique talent and creativity of New Zealanders.
Jim Anderton said in announcing this event "wherever I go in New Zealand, there are creative people doing incredibly
innovative things. But New Zealanders are almost embarrassed to talk about their achievements. We need to be more
enthusiastic about celebrating our successes instead of dwelling on our failures".
iii) "Creating Innovative Growth" SEAANZ Conference
Thursday 13 to Saturday 15, September 2001
Hotel Intercontinental, Wellington, New Zealand
This is the 14th Conference of the Small Enterprise Association of Australia/New Zealand.
There will be contributions from internationally renowned keynote speakers and corporate partners who will share their
knowledge and are available throughout the proceedings.
SEAANZ New Zealand Inc
Tel (09) 4190450
www.enterprise.org.nz/seaanz
6 Jim Anderton welcomes 200th Enterprise Award
Economic Development Minister Jim Anderton announced the seventh round of Industry New Zealand Enterprise Awards in
August taking the number of awards made to over 200.
The seventh round of Industry New Zealand Enterprise Awards had 29 recipients taking the number of grants awarded to 203
since September 2000 when the awards started.
Another 33 will be announced in round 8 taking the number to 236.
"It is significant in that in less than a year we have been able to award 200 grants for small enterprises," said Jim
Anderton.
"The Labour Alliance Coalition Government is determined to work to build new business and capitalise on business ideas,
the Enterprise Award Scheme is available where advice alone is not enough," said Jim Anderton.
A full list of the awards in round 7 is on the Government website:
www.executive.govt.nz/minister/anderton/index.html
Enterprise Award successes
Jim Anderton welcomed the news that EagerBeaver Ltd a toy manufacturer from Auckland which received an Enterprise Award
of just under $3,000 in December 2000 has made its first major sale.
The Award was to finance research/focus groups to investigate the likely commercial success of a new range of children's
toys.
Last week Eager Beaver learnt that the Warehouse Ltd have purchased a container of 2,400 Eager Beaver kits4kids FORT's
in it. They will be in Warehouse stores in early November in time for the Christmas rush.
More details are available from www.eagerbeaver.co.nz.
7 Economic Development contacts:
www.executive.govt.nz/minister/anderton/index.html
www.industrynz.govt.nz
www.med.govt.nz
www.bizinfo.co.nz 08004BIZINFO
Venture capital information www.vcapital.co.nz 0800VCAPITAL
www.alliance.org.nz
A Wood Processing Industry Steering Group newsletter will be launched in the next few weeks by Industry New Zealand. If
anyone is interested in receiving this contact mike.booker@industrynz.govt.nz
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