Job Ops doing exactly what its supposed to

Work opportunities are being created for young people around the country as a result of the Government's Job Ops scheme, the Minister for Social Development and Employment Paula Bennett says.

She's dismissed suggestions from the Opposition that the policy isn't working properly.

"I'm happy to reiterate to Annette King the aim of the Job Ops scheme. We want employers to come to us with entry-level opportunities for young people with little or no work experience.

"In setting up the scheme, we did not - and do not - expect employers to be using Job Ops to fill positions that would've been there anyway. Nor do we expect them to take the subsidy to re-employ someone they've recently made redundant.

"But neither are we going to make good employers jump through unnecessary hoops to provide invaluable work experience to young people who would otherwise be relying on the taxpayer to pay them a benefit.

"Unlike the previous administration, this Government is not prescriptive. We recognise a "one size fits all approach" is usually unworkable. In order to provide these vital opportunities for young people, there will need to be good faith between Work and Income and the employer.

"This Government has come up with an action plan to combat youth unemployment, because we believe our young people deserve more. In the 3 weeks since Job Ops was set up, we've seen over 500 work opportunities created for young people.

"But I'm not surprised Mrs King doesn't understand what innovative thinking looks like. I'd hoped, perhaps, she'd have been able to focus on what's important.

"And that is, giving young people a break in an unforgiving labour market so they get an opportunity to work and prove themselves," Ms Bennett says.