Ten thousand young people on the job

Job Ops has given ten thousand young people the chance to learn on the job skills and work ethic says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

The Job Opportunities Package, first announced in 2009 and then expanded in 2010, provides employers with a $5,000 subsidy to create a position for an unskilled 16 to 24 year old.

“We know that the younger a person is when they first go on an Unemployment Benefit the harder it is for them to come off it,” says Ms Bennett.

“Job Ops has helped businesses give young Kiwis a go and they are doing themselves proud when they get a foot in the door,” says Ms Bennett.

“Of the 4,577 young people who have completed their Job Ops programme, 90 per cent are not on a benefit and 70 per cent are in work,” says Ms Bennett.

Maori and Pacific young people make up a large proportion of the ten thousand with 3,517 having been placed in Job Ops positions to date.

“A job is life changing, especially when you’re young and need direction,” says Ms Bennett.

“So I want to challenge the New Zealand business community to give a young person a go. It’s good for them, it’s good for your business and it’s great for our country,” says Ms Bennett.