Bay Harbour: November 18, 2020

PAGE 20 BAY HARBOUR
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Wednesday November 18 2020
The Star Thursday October 22 2020
24
OPINION
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Action and Opportunities in
Skills and Employment
Businesses need support, and
here’s what we can all do about it
• By Dianna Rhodes
By Karen Haigh
TWENTY TWENTY has been a
year like no other.
Around As COVID the world causes lives economic have
been disruption changed irrevocably.
worldwide, one of the
Thankfully, most significant New Zealand impacts avoided
the worst of the public health
is on
people’s jobs.
impacts. But our business community
has been hugely affected,
with Many even the of us best have laid had plans our well
and truly livelihoods being put affected to the in test. some way
Companies by COVID have - some faced by huge uncertainty,
redundancy, job losses, some strained by a reduction budgets
and in hours, widespread or even disruption.
by a reduction
I’ve been
in remuneration.
the coal face, hearing
first-hand from those affected and
whose future is unclear.
Our It’s thoughts clear our are school with leavers those and
companies. graduates We, will as a face community, a very
might different sometimes outlook feel helpless when they but
we can finish do our their bit. qualifications at the
We end can of continue the year. to spend and
support local businesses – ultimately
keeping money moving
As the city’s sustainable economic
in the economy can and will save
jobs. development agency,
It’s ChristchurchNZ also important to is remember working
that many towards businesses socio-economic have grown
in spite recovery of Covid-19. and supporting Indeed, the our
can-do workforce attitude is of a Cantabrians
key piece of that
has seen vital many work. businesses rise to
the challenge and grasp opportunities
arising from these unprecedented
So, times. what’s the situation?
ChristchurchNZ’s Canterbury has Economic
seen a 63%
Recovery increase Index, in job which seekers measures since the
the region’s beginning activity of the against year, with a na-thtional
regional benchmark, unemployment has shown rate us
hold rising up relatively to 5.1% well from so 3.2% far. in
But January there’s a of long this way year. to The go average and
businesses absolutely do need
support
number
and help.
of hours worked is down
Here 10% at from ChristchurchNZ, a year ago. my
job along with our partners, such
as the As Canterbury well as impacting Employers’ around
Chamber 9,000 of jobs, Commerce, this tighter is to job market
facilitate has a support knock-on services impact to on businesses
areas impacted including by Covid-19. those about to
other
A key
join
part
the workforce.
of this support
We will have
has been the Regional Business
Partner over Network, 7,000 school through leavers which and
we have almost engaged 10,000 with tertiary more graduates than
4000 in Canterbury the region businesses facing an uncertain since
March future and come have allocated the end of over the year.
$6.5 million to those businesses
for access to expert advice and
support to help them navigate the
changed business environment
resulting from Covid-19.
We usually work with about 670
businesses a year, so it’s fair to say
2020 has been hectic.
This support was delivered
as part of the Business Survival
workstream within the Ōtautahi
Christchurch Socio-Economic
Recovery plan.
The importance of businesses
accessing specialist advice right
now can’t be understated. It can
mean they are better equipped to
adapt, make important decisions
and act. If this is ringing true with
your business, there is support
available to you.
Businesses like Rollickin’ Gelato
and Untouched World were
among the thousands who sought
ChristchurchNZ is helping identify opportunities for people to reskill and move into other sectors
Higher unemployment impacts
more significantly on those in
lower skilled roles and our
vulnerable populations – Māori;
Pasifika; young people not in
employment, education or
training; and our long-term
unemployed.
And what are we doing?
We are supporting the journey
for labour market priority groups
– school leavers, tertiary
graduates, NEET (young people
not in employment, education or
training), impacted workers,
Māori and industry.
To ensure work isn’t duplicated,
Covid-19-related support.
Peri Drysdale, chief executive
of Untouched World, told us that
while technical support was helpful,
“it’s been really nice to know
people are out there looking after
the business community”.
“The support we received will
make the climb out of this much
more effective and has set us up
for growth,” Drysdale said.
I’ve also been working personally
with Jed Joyce, the founder of
and to identify gaps, we are
mapping the support available
from iwi, central and local
government agencies, our
education providers, charitable
trusts, and other support groups.
Impact projects can then be
delivered to provide support
where needed.
It is critical we ensure our
community has access to the
information they need, and is
aware of the help available.
ChristchurchNZ is developing
regional information resources
and working to ensure this gets
into the hands of those who
need it.
Rollickin’, to help them through
this changing business environment.
They felt the pinch from January
2020 and were forced to close
their Arts Centre store. They were
worried keeping the store open
would negatively impact their
stores on New Regent St and in
Cashel Mall, the latter of which
opened just eight weeks before
the March lockdown.
They reached out for support
We are also developing a
Regional Workforce Plan that
identifies the skills available and
needed now and in the future.
This plan will inform central
government investment and
policy in education, immigration
and community interventions;
and will enable us to better
understand what skills
Christchurch’s future economy
will require. That in turn will
allow us to work with education
providers to ensure the right
courses are offered.
In times of recession we generally
see an increase in people
choosing to study.
This is an opportunity to upskill
Canterbury’s relatively
poorly-educated workforce for
our future economy, to generate
more and better jobs, to increase
productivity, and to raise living
standards and wellbeing.
We are supporting Ngāi Tahu’s
with
development
legal services,
of an
HR
iwi
expertise
skills hub
and advice on innovating “when
bricks
that will
and
create
mortar
stronger
became
pathways
irrelevant”.
for young Māori into tertiary
education Joyce told and us that skilled the support jobs.
they got from our team helped to
“understand Among other our projects, customer we base are
and working innovate with to education future-proof partners the
business”. and mana whenua to increase
It’s stories like this that make
aspiration and participation of
the work we do worthwhile.
students Whether in your low-decile business schools is in
moving future-focused into recovery tertiary mode study that
high-growth areas. WE’RE We HERE are also
seeking to future-proof TO HELP:
Canterbury’s labour Christchurch market
- we know how has vital not it is been to create
new jobs to ensure
spared
people
from
have
the effects
employment options of Covid-19. now and
in the longer term. Thousands of
businesses have
We have invested reached in a city-wide out for
innovation and support. entrepreurship
ecosystem partnership to support
high-growth potential businesses
and future job creation in areas
of regional strength and global
growth opportunity. These
Supernodes are Aerospace and
Future Transport; Food, Fibre
and Agritech; Health Tech and
Resilient Communities; and
High-Tech Services.
CHALLENGING
Our business TIMES: attraction Many team is
working to attract businesses additional shut
businesses and or jobs were to the forced region.
to leave staff go.
While we expect
We
ongoing
are available
to offer support
economic disruption, if you need there it.
are many green shoots and
opportunities – one of which is
and
to develop
looking
a
for
workforce
guidance,
that
or
is
focused on building capability
and
highly
growth,
skilled
there
and
are
can
resources
support a
and thriving support and available globally through competitive
the future Regional economy. Business Partner
Network designed to help you.
Don’t Karen hesitate Haigh to is get a Talent in touch.
Specialist for Innovation
Dianna
and Business
Rhodes
Growth
is the
at
business growth manager
ChristchurchNZ
at ChristchurchNZ