6. KATRINA SHANKS (National) Link to this
to the Minister for Social Development and Employment
What reports has she received on the Government’s Job Ops scheme?
Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development and Employment) Link to this
Since I stood up in the Chamber last week an additional 176 new Job Ops positions have been placed on Work and Income’s books. We now have a total of—members should listen up—590 Job Ops on our books.
Mr SPEAKERBefore I call Katrina Shanks I ask both sides of the House to be a little reasonable with their enthusiasm in interjecting, applauding, or whatever. It was extraordinarily difficult to hear the Minister.
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
No. From day one, careful guidelines have been in place to avoid displacement. The Job Ops scheme has always been about helping young people get work experience by creating new, entry-level roles.
Hon Annette KingAre existing vacancies not eligible to be used in the Job Ops programme, as she claimed in the press statement on Friday; if so, why are some employers publicly saying that they are not new vacancies but existing ones?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
These jobs are new. A job that exists in an employer’s head is not actually a job until it is on Work and Income’s books that the employer is actively looking for someone. These jobs are for new, entry-level positions. The scheme is a positive thing. I know that that is hard for the Opposition to take into consideration. The scheme is giving young people new opportunities to get into work, which is a good thing.
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
We have had 251 community groups registering their interest in the Community Max programme. These projects are a bit slower to come in because they take a bit more work to get up in the communities and get them under way, but the interest is there. The interest is perhaps higher than we expected to start with. We are very pleased with how the programme is going.