In most regions visited youth unemployment was raised as a concern. In some areas tertiary-qualified, young people were struggling to gain employment but in many areas the most disadvantaged youth were those who had low levels of educational attainment. Maori and Pacific young people were seen as groups who were at risk of an uncertain employment future.
Employers frequently expressed a preference for experienced workers and we heard many accounts of young people’s lack of job readiness and absence of a work ethic. This was often characterised as an attitude problem. One Gisborne employer said “we had employed a young male who turned up for work drunk or late, and so now we try to get older workers”. However, another participant from the same region said “We don’t have any issues. It would be dealt with quickly if there was. Young ones rejuvenate the place.”
Another Gisborne employer told us about a young person who turned up to a job interview in pyjamas. One astute participant noted that creating job opportunities out in the community enables the young people to build up their job experience and also gave prospective employers the experience of seeing young people as capable and enthusiastic workers.
There are various youth-to-work initiatives operating in many regions and we visited several outstanding examples of regional good practice. The Incubator programme in Hawke's Bay targeted low-decile schools and the Wonderful Wāhine programme targeted young Maori women at Nelson Girls’ College. In Otorohanga, the Trade Training Centre had successfully kept youth employment at zero per cent and apprenticeship completion rates above 90 per cent compared to a less than 20 per cent national average. The scheme has immense community support. We heard that “If young people get employed in Otorohanga now, employers ask ‘have you got your pre-trade through OTTC or have you been to see Ray’ (the Trade Apprentice Coordinator and fondly referred to as Camp Mother).”
Many of these schemes have been developed by local government and supported by central government funding streams. The Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs has been very active in these initiatives. It is apparent that funding for youth-to-work initiatives is both variable and precarious and there is little certainty about their viability from year to year.
Award-winning company NZSki in Queenstown has cracked the problem of engaging the enthusiasm of younger workers which has eluded many other employers. The company has taken pro-active steps to better understand the motivations and needs of its mainly Generation Y employees (those aged 18-30 years). The business has used new SMART technology to track workers’ behaviours. “They [Gen-Y] want constant feedback, so we give it to them. We also reward the behaviours we want from them, for example giving good customer service. We hire for attitude and train for skill”. The benefits of NZSki’s approach are apparent in its staff retention and engagement rates.
