Young people

The Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast Region’s young people are our future leaders.

We want our young people to make positive choices about their future and to have the right information to make good life decisions. Young people are most successful when they have a purpose. Education, training and work can offer that purpose.

If our young people get into trouble with the law, we want to help them get on the right track. For the small number of young people who are committing serious crimes, we’re taking action in an effort to stop them from becoming career criminals.

Youth employment

Finding a job can be an overwhelming task for anyone. Many young people come into the labour market with limited skills and limited work experience. We want to make this task easier for young people by helping them to find the right job or the right training.

Youth Opportunities package
Times are hard for communities and their young people. The number of young people who don’t have a job is four times higher now than it was this time last year. The Government has introduced the Youth Opportunities package, working with employers and communities to find opportunities for 16 to 24-year-olds, to work, train or stay in education.

In 2009/2010 as part of the Youth Opportunities package we will:

• fund entry-level jobs for six months, to build experience and confidence
• make 3,000 places for young people to work on community projects
• create extra job training placements through industry partnerships
• expand the Limited Service Volunteer Scheme by an extra 1,250 places.

Support for young people
Some of our young people are leaving school with few or no qualifications, leaving them with limited opportunities for employment. Our youth service approach helps these young people get access to study, training or sustainable employment.

In 2009/2010 we’ll help our region’s young people get jobs by:

• finding workplaces where young people can work, learn and receive ongoing mentoring, support and guidance, and industry relevant skills
• helping them make informed decisions about school, training and work.

Getting young people to reach their potential

Many young people know the direction they want to take in life, but some need help when it comes to making good decisions about their future. These young people can benefit from additional support when making the transition from school to further education, training, work or other meaningful activities.

The Youth Transition Service (YTS) supports young people (aged 15-19 years) to be in education, training and employment, contributing to their long-term economic independence and wellbeing. We will continue to support the organisations providing this service in our region along with local councils and contracted service providers. We want all school-leavers to have access to the support they need.

Student support
Over the next year we will extend the MyStudyLink online account service so students can assess their eligibility for most forms of support and apply for it online in one seamless process.

Encouraging participation in sport
We have a number of initiatives in our region to encourage children and young people to play sport. REPLAY encourages physical activity, healthy lifestyles and family wellbeing by allowing young people and their families to access donated sports and recreational equipment at no cost. SportStart helps young people play sport who are unable to participate for financial reasons. Young people can apply for a maximum grant of $50 each, up to twice a year, to cover the key sporting seasons.

Getting young people on the right path

Fresh Start
In August 2009 the Prime Minister announced an expanded Fresh Start for Young Offenders programme, building on the youth justice announcements made earlier in the year. The aim of the programme is to stop young people from reoffending by helping young people involved in low-level offending to get back on track, by holding serious and persistent young offenders to account, and by addressing the root causes of offending.

Some of the initiatives, announced as part of Fresh Start for Young Offenders, include:

• structured community youth programmes for young low-level offenders
• participation in either community or residential court-ordered drug and alcohol programmes, parenting and mentoring programmes
• Youth Court-supervised camps and greater Youth Court powers
• Supervision with Activity Orders with extra places in a range of programmes that incorporate elements of military-style training
• military-style activity camps for serious young offenders.

In 2009/2010 we’ll work to reduce youth offending rates by:

• putting multiagency plans in place to help our region’s youth offenders change their lives
• ensuring family group conferences develop individualised plans that address young people’s needs and encourage significant change
• promoting an understanding of offenders’ behaviour by training our staff to help these young people to understand the triggers or causes of criminal behaviour.

Reducing youth offending
Most young people who offend, do so only once. A smaller group of young people get caught up in a cycle of offending, often leading to more serious reoffending. We are working to break this pattern early in the life of the problem. We know the most effective way to curb offending is through a whole of community effort. We are working with communities to find solutions to encourage these young people to get involved in education, training, work or other meaningful activities.

In the next year we will continue working with the New Zealand Police, government agencies and non-government organisations to help young offenders to change their behaviour and to lead positive lives.