‘e’-Maharey e-launches new internet work site

In today’s fiercely competitive world gaining attention for your product isn’t always easy.

But Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey reckons he’s found the answer to grab audience attention when launching a new government internet site on work - get your alter “e”-go to “e”-launch it for you.

While the real Steve Maharey and invited guests looked on from a room at the Wellington Public Library today, ‘Steve Maharey’, an animated cartoon character e-launched the government’s newest internet information gateway about work - WorkSITE - to on-line guests around the country. Because of its smaller file size the animated format allows a greater number of users to ‘attend’ the launch than video streaming would.

“It’s impossible to expect everyone to attend a Wellington launch event, especially if you live in the deep South, for example, and for that matter to grab people’s attention on the diversity of the labour market. Allowing guests to ‘attend’ the launch by logging onto a special launch site and the opportunity to have some fun along the way will hopefully draw attention to what WorkSITE offers,” Steve Maharey said.

Steve Maharey said a key focus of the government’s July Budget were improvements to peoples’ ability to access information on work held by a number of different agencies.

“WorkSITE,) (http:// http://www.worksite.govt.nz) covers virtually everything there is to know about working in New Zealand. Whether you’re considering a career, actively looking for a job, wanting to change vocations, or start your own business, WorkSITE offers comprehensive information on-line.

While New Zealand is experiencing sustained economic growth and strong growth in jobs – with unemployment levels this year their lowest in 14 years – some firms are finding it difficult to find staff.

“Some level of skills shortage is a natural consequence of a dynamic, healthy economy but the government wants to make sure skill shortages don’t reduce the country’s productive capacity, that’s why we’re launching initiatives like WorkSITE.

. . / 2 “WorkSITE will help speed up the matching of people’s skills to the job opportunities that are currently available and reduce skill shortages in the future by helping people make better decisions about education and training.

“Phase one of WorkSITE will include information on education and training, career and work planning, finding work, finding staff, working for yourself, employment relations, workplace health and safety, research and moving to New Zealand.

“Phase two, operational from next year, will be more customized, adding private sector as well as other Government information, including volunteering, community businesses, ACC, childcare, taxation, income support and the transition to retirement,” Steve Maharey said.

Background:

General Information on WorkSite

WorkSite – your gateway to skills and work ( http://www.worksite.govt.nz) is a new website to help people find information about working in New Zealand.

The portal will help students thinking about work. It will assist them to plan their careers or consider various work options, it will help them choose education or training courses appropriate to their chosen career and it will help them find work.

It will help employees who want to know what their workplace entitlements are and it will help people thinking about changing jobs. It provides hints on searching for work as well as sites to search. It covers advice on applying for jobs as well as writing a CV and helps to prepare for job interviews.

It will help employers find staff, provide information on employers’ obligations with regard to workplace health and safety and employment relations.

For people thinking about working for themselves, there is information on establishing and growing a business.

There is information for potential migrants about working in New Zealand and there are links to publications and other material about the labour market.

WorkSite draws together, and provides in a user-friendly format, information from the Department of Labour, the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Education, Skill New Zealand/Transition Tertiary Education Commission, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority, the State Services Commission, Career Services and Industry New Zealand. Links are provided to these agencies’ websites as well as to the government portal (which provides information on all government services).

WorkSite will be continually developed with information from private sector organisations as well as from other government agencies being added.

WorkSite is one of the initiatives under the Skills Information Action Plan announced by Mr Maharey in this year’s Budget. The projects are designed to speed up the matching of people’s skills to the job opportunities that are currently available and to reduce skill shortages in the future by helping people make better decisions about education and training.

© Scoop Media