Scheme to help young people find jobs axed

ANDREW GORRIE/The Dominion Post

BACK IN WORK: Weed sprayer Jeremy Edwards, who got a job with Kevin Moon and his company Chemical Brothers.

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A recession programme to help young people find jobs is being wound up, disappointing a council that took on young workers.

The Community Max programme was introduced by the Government last year and aimed at unskilled 16 to 24-year-olds with few or no qualifications.

It provided thousands of youths with six months' work placement on a community or environmental project. Work and Income subsidised each person's wages and also provided a training component of up to $1250 a person. It cost the Government $40.3 million.

But with all 3000 placements now filled, the scheme is no longer available, except in Northland, Bay of Plenty, Waikato and the East Coast, where the Government is offering a further 1500 placements due to high unemployment.

Greater Wellington regional council had 15 youths placed with them for six months up till June. The group helped maintain the region's parks and resources and were given training in various aspects such as health and safety.

"It was a great success really," council biosecurity manager Wayne O'Donnell said. "There were huge benefits for all parties involved. We are really disappointed that it's not continuing."

Regional councillor Prue Lamason, who attended the graduation of the group, believed the programme was life-changing for some of those involved.

"Here's a really good scheme and they have gone and axed it, for goodness sake," she said.

But Work and Income head Mike Smith said Community Max was a time-limited recessionary response and was not intended to be a continuing programme.

"The expansion was limited to rural areas because those areas were more likely to benefit from Community Max."

Work and Income had other programmes to help disadvantaged young people gain work experience and improve their skills.

Mr Smith said funding was provided in the 2010 Budget to help employers create an extra 6000 entry-level positions for young people.

MAX HELPS JEREMY OFF THE DOLE

A few months ago Upper Hutt's Jeremy Edwards wasn't sure where his life was heading.

The 20-year-old was stuck on the unemployment benefit, having been made redundant from his building apprenticeship.

"I was just bumming around really," he said.

"I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do."

Then an opportunity came along for him to work for Greater Wellington regional council as part of the Community Max programme.

Mr Edwards was one of 15 young people placed with the council to help maintain the region's parks and resources.

He was one of 13 from the group who found fulltime employment once the placement had finished. He is now working at a chemical spray firm in Lower Hutt.

"It worked out really well. I am really grateful to the regional council and the Community Max programme for giving me the experience."

He said it was a shame the programme was no longer available in most regions.

- © Fairfax NZ News