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Regional Plan for CentralCONTENTS:
MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE I am very pleased to have the opportunity to introduce this Regional Plan to you. It is a summary of what we ’ve achieved for this region during the year, but it is also a strategy for how we will be doing even better in future. I am always very proud to be able to tell people about the Department of Work and Income’s successes, and the hugely significant role our staff play in achieving that. I believe this Plan illustrates just how hard they have been working for the people of this region. While highlighting the positive steps we’ve taken in the local labour market to really make a difference for those living and breathing the special nature of this region, this Plan also looks further ahead, to the goals we ’ve set our sights on for the coming months. We are taking every opportunity we have to meet our commitment to help all New Zealanders achieve independence. We are engaging with communities more than ever before. A strong foundation for our ability to do this is our regional flexibility strategy –local solutions to local needs. Already we ’ve seen good indicators that this focus will move us ahead very quickly in meeting the needs of the individuals who make this region the special place it is. As always, we will be closely focused on the local client base. We ’ll be organising our resources to target local needs in the most appropriate way for a particular area, or client group. ‘Closing the Gaps’ is also at the forefront in every case. The Department is in a special position to make a difference here, with our Maori and Pacific clients already a key target area for our specialised programmes to assist people in taking a full part in the economic, community and educational life of their locality. I know this Plan sets the right challenges to meet the needs of this community, and I believe it demonstrates the special local understanding, knowledge and expertise our staff can offer. Working together, and in local partnership, we can only have success.
 CHRISTINE RANKIN
REGIONAL COMMISSIONER’S REPORT
E ngä mana
Ki a koutou ngä tëtëkura kua wheturangitia
Huri noa ki a tätou te hunga ora, me kï,
Ka nui aku mihi ki a koutou katoa, e häpai
Nö reira,e kï ana,“Mä pango,mä whero, Pai Märire These past 12 months have been a truly exciting time. This has been our first full year operating as an integrated work and income service. When I look back over he last 12 months and reflect on the targets we set for he Department of Work and Income, I remember how ambitious I thought those targets were.We had planned for 3,800 job seekers to be placed into work with a further 3,500 job seekers placed into training and development. It is pleasing to report that we have exceeded those targets.In the past 12 months we have placed 5,000 job seekers into work,32%more than we had planned for. Similarly we have exceeded our target for placing job seekers into raining by 10% with 3,850 job seekers undergoing training and development. Having exceeded our targets this year, we may make our next 12 months’ targets more difficult to achieve. Nonetheless, we plan to place more job seekers into work over the next year than we did in the previous. This will be a challenge for us, but it is a challenge that we will face with confidence. A feature of our approach for the coming year will be the emphasis on specialised case management. We will focus on three areas – youth, Maori and work-tested clients. Specialist Case Managers will be at specific sites dealing with young people. They will also be working with community youth services and other agencies. This will ensure that all work-tested clients under 19 will be in work,training or education. Specialist Case Managers will be available to work with Maori. Maori clients will be dealt with by staff who are knowledgeable in the resources available for this client group and who have strong links with the community and employers. Work-tested clients will also be intensively case managed. Specialist Case Managers with responsibility for work-tested clients will focus on work first. This includes working closely with Work Brokers, various community agencies and other labour market contacts and profiling these clients into long-term paid employment. It has been particularly pleasing to work directly with employers and training providers to meet the needs of job seekers. We have used Job Plus Training to put job seekers into jobs. We arranged with training providers and employers for groups of job seekers to undergo training at the employer’s place of business. This has worked tremendously well. Job seekers were rained not only to national unit standards, but also to he specific needs of he employer, or industry. The employer was able to view first-hand the work habits and practices of the job seekers over a number of weeks, and the job seeker was able to gain a close, practical understanding of he operations of the employer. At the end of the training we had job seekers who knew about their new employer, who had the skills the employer wanted, and had also gained relevant unit standards towards national qualifications. With Job Plus Training we do not train job seekers for training’s sake. We train job seekers for jobs. Most of our Job Plus Training has resulted in employment outcomes in excess of 80%, which is particularly satisfying. The Department of Work and Income is an integral part of the communities we serve. We have worked hard to ensure that our services are available in all local government authority areas. Along with this I intend to continue to meet with mayors representing communities that we serve, and to continue to work locally to address local employment needs. We are committed to serving the communities where we work. We have received a great deal of feedback over the last 12 months and we have found this to be very useful. We look forward to working more closely with the voluntary sector to improve our service to beneficiaries and job seekers. It is my belief that we must continue to work together to improve the social well-being of the communities we work with. It remains of deep concern hat certain people in our society are grossly over-represented, not only in benefit statistics, but against all socio-economic indicators. In the Central region, I mainly refer to Maori. The disparities between Maori and non-Maori and the increasing gap must be addressed. We will work on strategies with other Government departments to address the disparities. We will also develop more prominent relationships with Maori throughout the region. While the Pacific Peoples population is not as high in the Central region as it is in other regions, we must be aware that Pacific Peoples are over-represented as registered job seekers. Our first year of operations has been successful. More people are employed and more people are in training than we thought possible. But that was only a first step. Our next 12 months will provide us with greater challenges – challenges that my staff and my region will overcome.
TE REHI A KOMENE
Regional Commissioner Central
Introduction
The major urban area in our region is Palmerston North, which has a population of around 73,000 people. It has a workforce of between 13,000 and 14,500 people. It is well known for its world-class educational and research industries. The city accommodates the main campuses of Massey University, the recently completed University College of Education, the International Pacific College and a number of internationally recognised Crown research institutes. On the outskirts of Palmerston North are two significant military installations. The first is Linton Army Military Base and the other is the Ohakea Airforce Base. A defence industry cluster group has been set up by local businesses to meet the growing needs of the defence forces. The two secondary population centres are based in the Wairarapa around Masterton and on the Kapiti Coast. The total population of the Wairarapa is 46,500 with approximately two-thirds living in urban areas. There has been a steady growth in population due to high migration,in particular people shifting into the area from Wellington. The Wairarapa region has earned more income per capita from export meat and wool than any other New Zealand region. The Wairarapa’s production of connoisseur goods and services is also increasing. There is a large rural community of approximately 13,000 people spanning a wide geographical area, but there are limited opportunities for permanent work. However, large numbers of people are employed in seasonal industries in the area and have multiple employers as they move from one seasonal opportunity to another during the year. The main emphasis of he labour market is on horticulture and agriculture, with the possibility of a strong future in viticulture. The Kapiti Coast is characterised by a large, relatively wealthy retired population and a low income agriculturally based rural population. Kapiti currently boasts the greatest population growth in New Zealand. Many people who live in Kapiti commute to Wellington each day for work, but effort is now being placed on developing job opportunities in the district. Tourism is seen as one of the potential growth industries. Paekakariki, Paraparaumu and Waikanae are popular holiday areas with tourist attractions such as the Southward Car Museum, the Tramway Museum, Nga Manu Bird Sanctuary and a number of smaller tourist operations including Kapiti Cheeses. North of Kapiti is the Horowhenua, which has a diverse industry base. The textile industry is significant and ranks second in size after Auckland. Levin has good retail, commercial and business infrastructure to suppor the local industry and residents’ needs. This area is also favoured for retirement and has a growing industry in residential care and retirement facilities. Dannevirke/Tararua encompasses a large geographical area from Norsewood in he north to Woodville in the south. The major employers are in meat processing and rural farming. It is also strong in dairy farming, wool products and timber/forestry. However, previous drought conditions have had a major impact on activity in the area. The Manawatu, with Feilding as its rural service centre, is known for its rural productivity and stockbreeding. This rural base supports a number of secondary industries. As a central region in the North Island we have extensive transport industries, with the main trunk line passing through. Palmerston North has become a major hub for road and rail distribution. Our region is not only known for its boutique wines and cheeses, paua and crayfish, but also its brewery, horticulture and primary industry staples, which are of export quality. The region also has a reputation as an adventure playground with easy access to numerous mountain ranges for ramping, hiking and other outdoor pursuits. According to he 1996 census, the proportions of people employed in the following industries in the Central region were higher than the national average – agriculture, forestry and fisheries, retail, education, health, community services, personal and other services. High proportions of people in the region were also employed in the manufacturing industry. These proportions indicate that the Department of Work and Income’s efforts should be targeted to these industries for our clients. The Central region’s employment levels are below national levels in wholesale trade, and property and business services. The top three occupations in the Central region are agriculture and fisheries workers, service and sales workers, and clerical. Professional occupations tend to be slightly under-represented while other occupations such as farm workers and plant and machinery operators have a slightly higher representation. This reflects the importance of the primary sector in his region. The outlook for the primary production (farming) sector is starting to improve after two years of sustained drought. Generally farm returns are increasing and much deferred maintenance is being carried out. The education, research and knowledge sector is a key strategic industry base for the region, primarily focused around Palmerston North. However, a recent decline in enrolments at Massey University’s Turitea Campus may result in job losses both at Massey University and in those industries that service Massey University and its student population. The defence sector, with Linton Army Camp and Ohakea Airforce Base, has become an increasingly important part of the local industry infrastructure. Both bases are being considered for expansion because of moves to centralise national defence operations. This sector has the potential to provide significant additional employment and economic opportunities for the region. Palmerston North has experienced increased demand for childcare services, due to the needs of working and studying parents. This is also true of the Horowhenua where the lack of childcare facilities and OSCAR (Out of School Care and Recreation) programmes has generally been highlighted throughout the region as posing barriers to people re-entering the workforce. The higher percentage of people employed in the retail and manufacturing industries of the region is boosted by a significant retail trade in Palmerston North, which also services the outlying rural areas. However, this continues to be influenced by local and national economies, and although new businesses start up, others cannot sustain themselves. Opportunities also exist with the neighbouring Wellington region, which boasts growth in the information technology field, call centre industry and Government and corporate sectors. These opportunities primarily exist for clients considering commuting from Kapiti, Otaki, Levin and Masterton. Many of our clients who are highly educated, particularly in the Palmerston North and Levin areas, may be encouraged to move to find appropriate employment for their skills in the Wellington labour market.
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The Central region is one of 13 Department of Work and Income regions and is located in the lower central North Island. It covers the area from Kapiti and the Horowhenua in the west, to Carterton in the east, north up through the Central Hawkes Bay to Waipukurau, and back through to Dannevirke and the Manawatu.