Our 2011 election manifesto - Labour Party

These young New Zealanders are most at risk. They have little to no experience or
qualifications, they are no longer in school or training and don‟t have a job. Action must be
taken now to ensure jobs, training and the right support are available to them.
Labour is committed to ensuring that every at-risk 15-19 year old will be either
learning or earning by the end of our first term. Labour‟s comprehensive youth
employment package of 12 initiatives develops a pathway from secondary school to
employment.
For details of this package refer to Labour‟s Youth Skills and Employment package.
Creating a quality skills training system with clear pathways
Currently a young person leaving school for university study has a straightforward choice –
which one, and what to study. A young person interested in the trades faces a confusing set
of options, and no clear pathway.
Too many of our young people are not succeeding in their apprenticeship schemes, or are
struggling to find placements because small businesses don‟t want the hassle or expense of
an apprentice. The quality of industry training and apprenticeships must be improved to
ensure more people complete their workplace training and gain the skills and qualifications
necessary to be productive and achieve employment security.
Labour will address the maze young people face when interested in a trade by
working with the Industry Training Federation to build coherent vocational pathways
in schools.
Labour will establish a nation-wide network of Youth Transition providers which will
provide school-leavers with information about training and employment opportunities
within their community so they don‟t fall through the cracks to unemployment.
This will provide a link between local industries and young people so that school-leavers can
choose a career path aligned to industries‟ skill demands, thus addressing skill shortages
and improving chances of employment.
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