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Maori organisations could benefit from Labour’s plan to put young people to work helping the Department of Conservation or not for profit agencies.
Leader Andrew Little announced the Ready for Work programme at the end of the party’s annual conference in Auckland yesterday.
He says it’s aimed at the 74,000 young people not in employment, education or training, and gives them a chance to do meaningful work for six months.
Hed says it’s about developing work habits and a sense of confidence that will give them a step into the workforce.
There are high levels of Maori youth unemployment in many regions, and Mr Little acknowledged Maori providers could be part of the mix.
“Obviously this is about finding the opportunities, working with organisations who can find those opportunities. There will be plenty of organisations who say gioven the opportunity to take on an extra hand, a dozen extra hands to do their non-profit work, they will be seizing that opportunity,” Mr Little says.
Labour estimates it will cost about $60 million a year to put 10,000 people through the Ready to Work programme, with the appropriate support and mentoring.
Te Taitokerau MP Kelvin Davis can see significant benefits to his region from the Ready to Work scheme.
He says the Department of Conservation has been run down. And there is a lot of potential work planting trees, building tracks, and tackling erosion.
“You know there’s so much for people in the Taitokerau up there because we’re surrounded by the DoC estate, and I think it provides an opportunity for those young people who really want a foot in the door into further work,” he says
Mr Davis says the scheme could lead to young Maori developing a closer relationship with the conservation estate that could lead to having more say in its future management.
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