Young people

The Taranaki, King Country and Wanganui 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 get them 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

Young people are often discouraged when they start looking for employment. Their limited work experience and limited job skills can make finding a job difficult. We need to help young people stay motivated and keep their work habits. We know some of them just need a bit of help to get into work and to plan their 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.

We are working with our employers, Māori/iwi groups, territorial authorities and other key community stakeholders in offering Job Ops and Community Max as options to provide our young people with valuable work and project experience.

Industry and employer partnerships
We are working with a range of industries and employers in our region to help prepare young people for work and to get them into jobs.

Te Amo Taiao is a skills development internship in conservation and land management in the Wanganui and Ruapehu districts. We are helping young people in Rangitikei get into paid jobs through the Career Start cadetships. These cadetships will help 20 young people increase their skills, knowledge, qualifications and workplace experience this year. Project InWork connects young jobseekers who are registered with Work and Income with full-time positions relevant to their interests. This service will actively work with 40 Māori youth in the Wanganui District.

Through our Straight 2 Work programmes, young people have the opportunity to get pre- and post-employment training. These programmes are developed by industry for industry, so participants are best placed to become gainfully employed. In our region, young people have access to hospitality and meat industry Straight 2 Work training programmes.

In 2009/2010 we'll help young people in our region get jobs by:

• supporting their transition from school to work with our Youth Transition Service and our regional contracted services
• providing them with industry relevant skills through industry partnership programmes like CApENZ
• targeting workplaces where young people can work, learn and receive ongoing guidance, like the Rangitikei Career Start cadetship and Te Amo Taiao.

Getting young people to reach their potential

Many young people know the direction and path they want to take in life. For these young people, we can provide opportunities to participate in development and decision making activities.

Paid work or training are positive and important activities for young people, particularly those leaving school early or those who need a little help staying on the right path. In North Taranaki, our Youth Transition Service (YTS) supports at-risk young people (aged 15-17 years) to get into education, training and employment, contributing to their long-term economic independence and wellbeing.

We also run programmes that will help build esteem, leadership and decision-making skills in our young leaders.

Student support
Over the next year, we’ll 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 young people already involved with the youth justice system or for those who are identified as possible offenders.

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 youth offending
Some young people get caught up in a cycle of offending. Whole of community involvement is the most effective way to break the cycle and to achieve lasting change. We are working with communities to develop proactive solutions that make a difference. One of the best solutions is to encourage these young people to be involved with education, training or work.