No work, study for 17% youth
Hawke’s Bay has the second worst rate in NZ for 15-24 year-olds who are not in school, paid employment or study.
More effort, energy and resources should be put into tackling Hawke’s Bay’s youth unemployment, says Tukituki MP Lawrence Yule.
In June 2018 17.6 per cent of Hawke’s Bay youth aged 15-24 are not in education, employment or training (Neet), the second worse rate in the country behind Gisborne at 21.8 per cent.
Yule said he would like to see a return to the National Government’s social investment approach to combat the issue, using information and technology to target funding to families.
“Social investment strategy, in my view, is the way that this has to be solved. Ultimately, without that level of action, you’re not going to fix the problem.
“What you will generally find is the people [are] not in education, employment or training . . . because of a whole lot of other, underlying issues in their lives.
“Whether that is education quality, driver licensing, the home environment or drug and alcohol abuse — intervention in those spaces are the key,” Yule said.
Hastings’ Neet rate was 18.3 per cent, Napier’s 17.1 per cent.
Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the council was committed to getting young people into employment, education and training.
“We have a team of youth connectors who work hard every day to get more of our young people into training and employment,” she said.
The approach has worked with 271 young people, aged 16-24, over the past 18 months to get them into long term, sustainable work.
She said 135 have been placed in work in sectors from primary industry to trades, construction and retail.
“Others have been encouraged to return to school or to seek further education training.”
Napier mayor Bill Dalton said any time youth were not in employment or education it was a problem for society.
“I certainly would support any measures that ensure as many youth as at all possible, are in, if not in work, that they are in education training.
“It’s something society can tackle, it needs everybody to pull on the same end of the rope,” Dalton said.
“It needs central government assistance, it needs local government and it needs society to ensure that we give our young people the best opportunities in life we can.”
The September quarter has shown a significant improvement to Neet rates for Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne combined, decreasing from 18.4 per cent in June to 14.9 per cent in September.
However, they remain the highest levels in the country, with the national Neet rate at 10.1 per cent.
Overall, the Hawke’s Bay/ Gisborne unemployment rate is 4.1 per cent, close to the national rate of 3.9 per cent.
Minister for Employment Willie Jackson was not available for comment.
It’s something society can tackle, it needs everybody to pull on the same end of the rope. Bill Dalton Napier mayor