• Campaign Launched to Promote Seasonal Work Opportunities
• Government Releases Employment Strategy Document
• TEAC Chair Farewelled
• Tertiary Equity Initiative Package Details
• 24-Hour Child Abuse Freephone
• Social Direction Briefings

Campaign Launched to Promote Seasonal Work Opportunities

A new campaign to encourage job seekers to take up seasonal work opportunities was launched by Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey during a visit to Hawkes Bay last week.

A new guide, What about seasonal work?, and accompanying video published by the Department of Work and Income (DWI) will be used to promote seasonal work opportunities to job seekers. In addition DWI plans to work in partnership with employers in the key seasonal regions (Northland, East Coast and the Hawkes Bay, and Nelson) this summer to actively identify work opportunities and to match job seekers to those jobs.

In the past seasonal industries such as fruit growing, shearing, skiing and tourism have found it difficult to recruit sufficient staff and registered job seekers have been reluctant to take up these employment opportunities because of concerns about their income security.

Seasonal employment gives job seekers the opportunity to gain new skills, confidence and a good income. The new guide clearly explains why it will always pay to take up seasonal employment. DWI will make sure that clients coming back on to the benefit after being in seasonal work are not disadvantaged - most will have their benefit reinstated within 24 hours of ceasing seasonal work. Similarly, if it rains and fruit cannot be picked that day DWI will pay seasonal workers the benefit they would have previously been entitled too.

Steve Maharey said the seasonal work campaign was a good example of how the Government is refocussing the services of DWI. It is a regionally-based programme responding to local employment needs and delivered in partnership with local businesses.

The Government released Opportunity, Capacity, Participation, its employment strategy last week.

The release of the publication follows the announcement last week of an official unemployment rate of 5.9% - the lowest in twelve years. A new monitoring regime to assess performance against the strategy at two levels has been agreed by the Cabinet:

• the employment outcomes being achieved will be reported by 30 September each year at the beginning of the budget round, and
• progress on and results emerging from Government actions and initiatives to influence those outcomes will be reported as at 31 December and 30 June each year.

The new monitoring regime is designed to give greater prominence to employment strategy issues that come before Cabinet. In future major policy proposals that impact on the employment strategy will include a clear assessment for Cabinet of their expected impact on progress with the strategy.

Norman Kingsbury, the first Chair of the Tertiary Education Advisory Commission, was farewelled with regret by Associate Education (Tertiary Education) Minister Steve Maharey last week.

The Commission was established in April to advise the Government on how it can rebuild New Zealand's tertiary education system to meet the needs of the knowledge society. Its first report, Shaping A Shared Vision, was published in July. Further reports will be forthcoming over the next year on the shape of the tertiary system; encouraging cooperation and collaboration; relevant learning opportunities and the funding of learning and research.

Dr Kingsbury said that that the Commission was working very well as a group, the first report had been very well received and work was in progress on the second report. It now seemed timely for him to cease his involvement, and to focus instead on the number of exciting projects which have been instituted at NZQA while he has been Chief Executive. The Authority is due to appoint a new Chief Executive early next year and Dr Kingsbury said it was important that he was able to ensure a smooth handover.

Details of the new $18m package to fund support services at public tertiary education institutions for Maori and Pacific students were sent to tertiary institutions this week.

* further details are available on Ministry of Education website 'Information for Tertiary Education Providers' section at www.minedu.govt.nz

A new 24-hour national freephone service to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect is already being developed, Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey confirmed last week.

Children's Commissioner Roger McClay advocated the establishment of a freephone service in his annual report, tabled in Parliament last week.

Child, Youth and Family has established a call centre in Auckland. Except in six sites around the country, people calling 0508 FAMILY (0508 326 459) are connected to the call centre during business hours, Monday to Friday. After hours calls are redirected and a staff member in the caller's area is alerted to the call. By next year, the 0508 FAMILY service will be nationwide and it is planned to have the call centre staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Government is inviting a range of local body and community representatives to a briefing and discussion on its social policy direction.

The first of the briefings would be held in Auckland on 17 November. Other briefings and discussions would be held later in Christchurch and Wellington. Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey, Justice Minister Phil Goff and Women's Affairs Minister Laila Harré will attend the first feedback meeting in Auckland. Other Ministers are attending the Christchurch and Wellington meetings.

Steve Maharey said the briefings would bring representatives from social sector organisations up to date on policy developments and future directions.