02 July 2009

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Subsidise Us!

The National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ) believes that the Government should turn their attention to a job support scheme for Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO’s).

“NCWNZ would like to see a scheme that subsidies training, recruitment and employment within the Community Sector,” says NCWNZ National President Elizabeth Bang, “as this would be an investment with wide reaching social and economic benefits”.

The demand for the vital services that NGO’s provide will continue to increase as more people are affected by the recession.

NCWNZ wants more assurance from the Government that the Community Sector will be assisted to develop and deliver these vital services.

Because the current economic climate is making it difficult for some people to find work, there needs to be a strong focus on supporting job seekers to maintain and develop useful skills.

The answer to the growth in unemployment would be the development of a partnership between Work and Income and the Community Sector; the answer lies in subsidising much needed community work.

The Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Health have both announced that they will be cutting staff in an effort to lift public sector productivity. But the knowledge and skills of the staff members who will lose their jobs should not be wasted; it could be redirected into the social and health service sector.

NCWNZ says the suggestion of an NGO job support scheme has come out of an internal consultation on the “Job Summit” and been prompted by criticism at the lack of ideas put forward for women’s employment.

The community, social and personal services group is the single largest employer of women according to Statistics New Zealand.

“The Government needs to focus on job creation and growth in the areas that are most important now and in the future and will benefit us all,” concludes Elizabeth Bang.

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