Green Party plan to guarantee young people jobs draws praise from social workers, LGNZ
New Zealand's Green Party has proposed a job guarantee program for unemployed youth aged 16 to 24. The policy has received support from local government leaders and social workers who argue it provides necessary support for vulnerable young people.
Why it matters
Highlights political debate over youth unemployment solutions and the role of government in labor market intervention.
The Green Party says it will guarantee a job for every young New Zealander aged 16 to 24 who has been out of work for six months or more. The party announced on Sunday that if elected, it would establish a pilot programme called Jobs for Young People, which would provide jobs through iwi, business, the public sector and non-profits. It would also scale up the Mayors' Taskforce - an existing initiative between local and central government to get young people into work - to get 32,000 young people into work. Local Government NZ, youth worker welcome policy The policy has drawn praise from both the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ) and Local Government New Zealand. MTFJ chair, Gore mayor Ben Bell, says youth unemployment was rising and it was good to see the issue getting serious attention this election.
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