Indian Newslink Feb 15, 2016 Digital Edition

February 15, 2016 EDUCATIONLINK
7
Free post-school training makes economic sense
Phil Goff
Keeping New Zealand as
a place where people
want to live and where
their families can thrive
is really important.
We have a lot to offer - a
stable, peaceful, largely harmonious
country with a beautiful
environment and generally
good public services.
However, last week, two new
releases sounded a warning
that a better future is not
automatic and we have to work
for it.
Drying Dairy
Firstly, it was the news that
the global dairy trade index fell
again by 10.4%.
Dairy is our biggest export,-
making up nearly 30% of all that
New Zealand sells overseas. The
crash in prices over the last two
years is a reminder that we need
to diversify our exports and not
just rely on good commodity
prices.
Secondly, Kiwi tertiary student
numbers were reported to be
falling by 30, 000 in the next
three years. Add that to 20%
decline in tertiary students and
22% decline in apprenticeship
numbers since 2008 and you
see a worrying fall in our future
skill levels.
Skilled resource
For New Zealand to be an economically
successful country,
we need to take action to ensure
that our people - the country’s
most valuable resource-are
highly skilled. We need to be
creating jobs that are high
skilled, high paid and creating
high value-added products and
services to sell overseas.
Over the last year, Labour has
focused a lot of its policy work
on the ‘Future of Work.’International
research shows up that
nearly half of all our current
jobs will not exist in ten to
twenty years. Technology will
have replaced them.
Bold commitment
That is why Labour Party
Leader Andrew Little, in his
‘State of the Nation’Address
on January 31, 2016, made a
strong and bold commitment to
free post-school education and
training.
The policy gives all New
Zealanders, who have no
previous tertiary education,
access to three years of postschool
education or training.
It has been carefully costed and
will be progressively introduced
from Labour’s first budget in
2019 to be fully implemented by
2025.
It will be a priority spend
from the $1 to $2 billion new
spending available each year to
Government.
Structural unemployment
With rapid automation and
new jobs requiring higher
skills, we will face high levels
of structural unemployment
unless we help people to train
and retrain.
It doesn’t make sense to leave
people trapped on an unemployment
benefit. Unemployed
people cannot support their
families, pay taxes or contribute
to the economy. That is economically
wasteful as well as being
socially disastrous for those out
of work.
Part of Labour’s policy will
be to use the dole to subsidise
employers taking into new
apprenticeships people who
have been out of work for some
time.
People will have access
to Labour’s three-year free
education and training at any
point during their working
life and for academic or trades
learning.
Monitored funding
Use of the funding will be
carefully monitored to ensure
it is delivering results. Students
must pass more than half their
courses to qualify for their next
year of study to be free. It’s
about delivering results, not
throwing money at a problem.
The policy has won wide
support across the community.
The National Party has criticised
the policy.
It is a real pity that political
parties too often feel the need to
oppose a good idea just because it
comes from another Party.
New Zealand needs policies
that prepare us for the future and
meet the needs of the changing
world.
Phil Goff is former Foreign
Affairs, Trade and Justice Minister
and has been Member
of Parliament for 35 years.
Elected from Mt Roskill,
he is today Labour Party’s
Spokesperson for Defence and
Ethnic Communities. Mr Goff
has announced that he would
contest for Auckland Mayoralty
at the Local Government
elections this year
A double take on
Paraprosdokians
Ray Annamalai,
North Shore, Auckland
Winston Churchill
Paraprosdokians are figures of
speech in which the latter part of a
sentence or a phrase is surprising
and is frequently humorous. The late
Sir Winston Churchill loves them.
Here are a few:
1. Where there is a will, i want to
be in it.
2. The last thing I want to do is hurt
you; but it is still on my list.
3. Since light travels faster than
sound, some people appear
bright until you hear them speak.
4. If I agreed with you,we would
both be wrong.
5. We never really grow up; we
only learn how to act in public.
6. War does not determine who is
right, only who is left.
7. Knowledge is knowing a
tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is
not putting it in a fruit salad.
8. To steal ideas from one
person is plagiarism;to steal
from many is research.
9. I did not say it was your fault;
I said I was blaming you.
10. I thought that I was wrong
once but I was mistaken.
11. I used to be indecisive, but
now I am not so sure.
12. To be sure of hitting the
target, shoot first and call
whatever you hit the target.
13. Going to Church does not
make you a Christian any
more than standing in a
garage makes you a car.
14. You are never too old to learn
something stupid.
15. I am supposed to respect my
elders, but it is getting harder
and harder for me to find
one.
16. Always borrow money from a
pessimist. He will not expect
it back.
17. A diplomat is someone who
tells you to go to hell in such
a way that you will look
forward to the trip.
18. Hospitality is making your
guests feel like they are at
home, even if you wish they
were.
19. Money cannot buy happiness,
but it sure makes misery
easier to live with.
20. Some cause happiness
wherever they go. Others
whenever they go.
21. A clear conscience is usually
a sign of bad memory.
Help guide Auckland’s
direction for 2016/2017
Each year we set our budget to meet future growth and deliver
the services that council provides.
As part of our Annual Budget consultation we want your feedback
on rates, theInterim Transport Levy and local board activities and
priorities for 2016/2017.
Visit shapeauckland.co.nz to have your say and find out how you
can provide your feedback in person at one of the Have Your Say
events in your local board area.
Have your say by 4pm on Thursday 24 March, 2016.
For more information, to provide feedback
or for afull list of Have Your Say events,
visit shapeauckland.co.nz,oryour local library,
service centre or local board office.
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