Young people

Northland’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

It’s not unusual for a young person to be out of work when they start out in the labour force. But we need to make sure they’re not discouraged by this, and they stay motivated and keep their work habits. We also know there are young people out there who just need a bit of help to get into work and plan a career.

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 announced 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.

Industry and employer partnerships
In Northland, our young jobseekers can access the Straight 2 Work programmes and a youth-focused cadet scheme.

The cadet scheme provides training in life and practical skills for 17 to 24-year-olds to help them make the transition to work. When they finish the programme the cadets will be interviewed for potential placements within their local councils. Collectively, the councils then take on up to eight cadets for 10 months, giving them the opportunity to learn long-term work skills.

We have a Cadet Mentor to support the cadets while they work with the councils. The mentor also helps those cadets who don’t get jobs with the councils to find alternative employment.

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

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

Getting young people to reach their potential

Lots of our young people are doing just fine. They know what path they want to take and have an idea of where they want to go in life. We can give these young people opportunities to participate in development activities and decision making.  Young people are more successful when they are engaged. Some need more help than others to find a meaningful activity that will keep them out of trouble. For young people who need help staying on the right path we have programmes that will help them to make good decisions.

We have three Youth Transition  Services (YTS) hubs in Northland – in  Kawakawa, Kaitaia and Whangarei. Through programmes like Youth  Transition Services, we’re providing the young people of the Northland Region with opportunities to make informed decisions about school, training and work so they can build their wellbeing  and independence. We also run programmes that will help build self-esteem, leadership and decision-making skills in our young leaders.  

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.

Getting young people on the right path

We provide intensive programmes for those young people who are already in the youth justice system, or who are very close to entering it.

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 low-level young 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.

Reducing gang participation – Connecting Young People
It is important to us that young people who might get involved with or who are already in a youth gang have a way out. We have worked with a number of other agencies to set up a direct referral team to work with young people (aged 10–20 years) who are at risk of joining or who have already joined a youth gang. These young people and their families will be connected with education, employment or training opportunities. They will be supported to change their lives.

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

• putting multiagency plans in place to help Northland’s most serious youth offenders change their lives
• having a youth justice co-ordinator on site at the Pulse (Whangarei).

Reducing youth offending
A small number of young people get caught in cycles of offending. We know we can achieve lasting change when whole communities work together to develop solutions – especially in encouraging those young people to connect to education, training or work. We have teamed up with the New Zealand Police in Kaikohe to deliver a three-day camp for youth offenders to mentor them and provide cultural opportunities.