FORUM REPORT – HOROWHENUA FORUM
28 June 2007

Around 30 people attended the Horowhenua Forum to assist Mayor Brendan Duffy achieve the Taskforce goals in his district.

Young people

  • Don’t want student loan- want to work before going on to further study
  • Need experience to get job
  • Easier to get a job from a job
  • Many have part-time jobs - on farms and many from family connections or family businesses
  • Gateway good
  • Nothing around towns like Foxton – limited jobs
  • Most of those unemployed need skills and qualifications
  • Issues around uniforms etc – pride in school but if you look different (piercing) “they” are uncomfortable with how that looks and also think it could be a distraction for other students

Worries

  • Money
  • Passing exams
  • Where am I going next year
  • Getting qualifications
  • Getting somewhere to live – flat –age a factor (barrier)

General

  • Only two will stay in the Horowhenua but a lot want to come back
  • More opportunities in other places – go overseas
  • There is support to get jobs (WINZ) and other services but nothing to do
  • Would like – shopping mall, party clubs, sports clubs, after school activities, “nothing but wheels” was good but now events centre not able to provide that
  • Need a place to hang out
  • Need better courses that are more relevant
  • Gateway – good but only available to selected students – work experience should be available to all
  • Need to make learning/courses fun – school could be more exciting
  • NCEA – quite difficult – a lot of pressure- although some good things like being able to pass things during school year
  • Don’t make classes compulsory after year 11 – issue around maths and English
  • English and maths at year 12 hampers ability to choose other things
  • Quality of teachers important
  • Sometimes negativity of teachers about personality not performance
  • Get judged on appearance – groups of people get a hard time
  • Bullying common- anyone who looks different
  • Access to alcohol easy from around 13-14
  • Parents sanction access to alcohol
  • Teen pregnancies
  • Career advice generally OK – regional career expos don’t really give enough information
  • Make a drag strip for boy racers –stop the speeding - maybe a car club
  • Youth week could be better – get young people to run the events and involve young people in decision making
  • Look at Youth Councils or other ways to engage with young people – run by young people
  • Employ a youth facilitator to coordinate all the activities and feedback etc.

KEY POINTS

  • Difficulty in getting jobs – especially meaningful jobs
  • Need skills and qualifications – also help with reading and writing for those who are not at the very bottom
  • Worries over money, passing exams, getting qualifications, somewhere to live
  • Most need/want to leave area but many want to come back
  • Support to get jobs and other services (eg WINZ) but nothing to do - need a place to hang out
  • Gateway good but work experience should be available to everyone
  • Need to make learning fund and school more exciting – quality of teachers important
  • Bullying - access to alcohol and drugs from an early age
  • Could make a drag strip for car racing – perhaps a car club
  • Use youth week more proactively
  • Reinvent the Youth Council – engage a youth facilitator

WHY MAYORS?

Mayors are:

  • Directly elected and they have a collective ability to speak to the whole community, take civic leadership and facilitate collaboration and genuine partnerships across all sectors
  • Passionate about their communities
  • Committed to providing opportunities for all their citizens to participate

WHY YOUTH?

  • Research shows those who make a successful transition from school to education, training and work have better life long outcomes.
  • NZ is suffering widespread skill and labour shortages so we need every young person to be fully engaged in our communities.
  • NZ needs to train its young to help fill our skills shortages.
  • The demand for entry and lower level skilled workers is also growing.
  • There is global competition for skilled labour.
  • Youth are an underutilised source of labour.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Taking Mayoral leadership to engage with government Ministers, officials, agencies, community groups and the private sector which have key roles in employment is the way the Taskforce works to achieve its vision. Partnerships with government agencies and Ministers provide the Taskforce with an opportunity to discuss policy issues and inform the policy making process, particularly to ensure that policy is relevant at the local level. Working across all sectors and encouraging collaboration between agencies ensures the most effective service delivery and efficient use of resources, currently through:

  • Increasing youth transition services, modern apprenticeships, industry trainees
  • Using Long Term Council Community Plans to engage locals
  • Working with central and local government officials to develop sound policies and projects
  • Using Mayors’ collective voice to lobby on behalf of youth employment
  • Recognising and using the power of the Mayor’s office