Real commitment needed for Canterbury skills training

It’s time this Government made a real commitment towards encouraging young people into skills and trade training for the rebuild of Christchurch, says Labour’s Youth Affairs spokesperson Megan Woods.

In response to questions from Labour MPs at today’s Education Select Committee hearing, the Tertiary Education Minister confirmed that only $7m of the $42m allocated to skills training for the rebuild of Canterbury has been spent.

"This fund should be seen as a chance to offer training opportunities to some of the 87,000 young New Zealanders not in education, employment or training. But all Steven Joyce can do is make flippant claims that the under-spend is because of a lack of demand for places.

"He says he doesn’t want to ‘frog march’ young people into training. This is a silly response from the Minister who should get on with the job and focus on getting our young people into suitable training programmes.

“This Government is failing our young people. It is more interested in bringing in workers from overseas, claiming that the idea of workers camps around the city is an ‘interesting and creative’ suggestion for solving the skills crisis in Christchurch.

“It’s time this Government put young New Zealanders first. It must stop watching from the side-line and get stuck in.

“One factor holding back skills training is the reluctance of employers' to take on apprentices while there is so much uncertainty surrounding the timing of work due largely to the Government’s inaction in resolving insurance problems in Christchurch.

"Labour’s plan to give employers a subsidy equivalent to the unemployment benefit if they take on an apprentice would make a huge difference. It is a practical solution and one the Government should adopt,” said Megan Woods.