Maharey Launches Canterbury Youth Employment Strategy

Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey is hailing a new youth employment partnership between the Canterbury Development Corporation (CDC)and the Department of Work and Income (DWI)as an historic development in the maturing relationship between central and local government.

Mr Maharey was in Christchurch today to launch a new joint Youth Strategy for Canterbury which will see DWI targeting 16-24 year olds to ensure that they make a successful transition from school to employment and/or further education and training. The strategy will focus particularly on better case management for 18 and 19 year olds on the Department's books. The Agreement follows an approach to the Government earlier this year from the Canterbury Development Corporation to build on the existing Actionworks Youth Employment Service.

"Actionworks is about a vision and a partnership – a partnership which will see the development of a comprehensive youth strategy for Canterbury.

"By providing more effective case management we aim to ensure that those who need to have recourse to social assistance or income support can make the transition to work and independence.

"The vision is a vision of a community in which no young person is on a benefit, doing nothing. It is a vision of a community in which all young people are actively engaged either in employment, in education, and in training. It is a vision shared by the Government and both the partner organisations.

"Youth unemployment is an issue for all our communities. It is now an issue that is being owned by the community of Christchurch in partnership with DWI.

"DWI has a focus on regional flexibility and responsiveness. It has not only the capacity at a regional and national level to enter into partnerships of this kind, but a growing culture of openness and inclusion that will enable this kind of partnership to work," Steve Maharey said.

Attached is a summary of the key features of the Actionworks Youth Employment Strategy for Canterbury.

Actionworks – Youth Employment Stratgey for Canterbury

Key features of the programme:

 DWI will provide Case Managers within each Service Centre who have a dedicated Youth caseload (approximately 13 case managers)

 CDC will contribute their expertise in working with youth towards the development of DWI Youth Case Managers

 DWI will provide a Work Broker who holds the Youth portfolio to work in tandem with Youth Case Managers and CDC, so ensuring a more seamless interface in job matching

 DWI will continue to dedicate 4 staff to the CDC Actionworks programme and CDC will continue to dedicate four staff to the programme as Youth Employment Specialists

 DWI will operate a Youth initiative fund in partnership with CDC to the value of $100,000 which will be jointly administered by DWI and CDC. Additional funding

 the DWI evaluation unit will undertake on-going monitoring of the success of the programme

 DWI and CDC will work together to develop a funding bid for the Youth Strategy for Canterbury to be considered in the next Budget round

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