Annual Report cover 2013

More young people are in education, training or work

We will keep young people engaged and active in their communities by supporting them to be involved in education, training and employment.

Implementing welfare reforms


Supporting young people

Our focus on young people is an integral part of the Welfare Reform package. We aim to stop young people drifting onto welfare and to increase the proportion of 18-year-olds gaining NCEA Level 2 or equivalent qualification. By stepping in early and targeting services where they will make the most difference, we aim to keep young people active in their communities and engaged in education, training or work-based learning.

The introduction of welfare reform legislation means we are doing more to support young people back into education, training or work-based learning.

Welfare Reform Phase 1

Youth at high risk of long-term benefit dependency are a main focus of the first phase of Welfare Reform introduced by the Social Security (Youth Support and Work Focus) Amendment Act 2012.

New Youth Service

In August 2012, we launched the Youth Service, which transforms the way we support disengaged young people. The Youth Service is offered through youth-focused community providers or specialist youth case managers. It includes one-on-one mentoring to get disengaged youth back into education or training, plus tools and support for managing money, budgeting, parenting and life skills.

Two separate services make up the Youth Service:

  • The Youth Service (Youth Payment and Young Parent Payment) is for 16 to 18-year-olds who receive financial assistance from Work and Income.
  • The Youth Service (NEET[1]) is for 16 and 17-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training, or who are at risk of being NEET.

Approximately 6,000 young people were enrolled in the Youth Service (NEET).

Supporting teen parents

More than a third of sole parents on the former Domestic Purposes Benefit became parents as teenagers. Almost half of those had no formal school qualifications. We know that vulnerable teen parents often have high and complex needs that require wrap-around support. Throughout the year, Teen Parent Intensive Case Workers have helped young parents by linking them to the support they need to stay in or to reconnect with education, prepare for future employment, and prevent unplanned pregnancies.

Nineteen Intensive Case Workers were each working with at least 15 teen parent families at any one time throughout 2012/2013. These case workers provided advice and support on housing, healthcare, parenting and income issues. They also supported teen parents to re-engage with education, training and employment.

In addition to this, we provided Volunteer Neighbourhood Support and Parenting Support for Teenage Fathers.

Supporting at-risk teenagers

We have a clear expectation young people should be in school or training. In August 2012, we started sharing data with the Ministry of Education to help identify young people aged 16 to 17 years who are disengaged from school or training and who are likely to benefit from early intervention.

School-leaver information from the Ministry of Education is used by community-based Youth Service providers to contact 16 and 17-year- old school leavers and to offer voluntary support to get them back into education or training. This is an example of how agencies working together can create better support and results for at-risk young people.

We are working in partnership with the Ministry of Education to help young people stay in education or training.

Youth programmes


Limited Service Volunteer

Limited Service Volunteer (LSV) is a partnership programme between the Ministry, the New Zealand Defence Force and the New Zealand Police. LSV is a six-week, voluntary training programme targeted at 18 to 25-year-olds who are on a benefit and who are at risk of long-term unemployment. It aims to increase the number of young people entering employment by improving participants’ self-discipline, self-confidence, motivation and initiative.

In 2012/2013, of the 1,466 young people who participated in LSV, 50 per cent went into work or training and 8 per cent were no longer on the benefit.

Sussed

The Sussed programme guides senior secondary school students through the key things they need to consider before undertaking tertiary study. This includes the courses they choose, the cost, their career opportunities, likely remuneration, and market needs now and in the future. An online version of Sussed is available on the StudyLink website to help anyone considering tertiary study.

In 2012/2013, StudyLink delivered 453 Sussed presentations in 318 secondary schools in New Zealand.

2012–2015 Statement of Intent Performance Indicators


More young people are in education, training or work

Intermediate Outcome – More young people are engaged in education, training or employment without needing a benefit

MEASURE RESULT TREND/COMMENT

The proportion of Youth Service (Youth Payment) recipients or Youth Service (NEET) participants, who are granted a main benefit within three months of exiting either service

42.7%

(No trend available)

New indicator for 2012/2013

Intent: Decreasing

Since the implementation of the Youth Service in August 2012, 596 clients were granted a main benefit within three months of leaving the service.

The proportion of Youth Service (NEET) participants, who are in full-time education, approved training or work-based learning, leading to at least an NCEA Level 2 qualification

53.5%

(No trend available)

New indicator for 2012/2013

Intent: Increasing

In 2012/2013, 1,396 Youth Payment or NEET clients left the Youth Service since it was implemented in August 2012. Of these 596 were granted a main benefit within three months of leaving the service.

1. Not engaged in Education, Employment or Training

Annual Report cover 2013

Related links

Print this page.