5. HEKIA PARATA (National) Link to this
to the Minister for Social Development and Employment
What announcements has the Government made on Community Max?
Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development and Employment) Link to this
Minister Turia and I have added an extra 1,500 Community Max places, taking the total number to over 5,000. This is an additional $17.4 million in Government investment. These additional places will be available in the Bay of Plenty, East Coast, Northland, and Waikato areas.
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
These regions have been selected as they have high youth unemployment rates under the household labour force survey, some of the highest numbers of young people receiving the unemployment benefit, and high levels of Māori unemployment. They are more rural areas, as well, which find it hard to access Job Ops as there are fewer employers in those areas. We think Community Max will make a big difference.
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
I have seen many outstanding Community Max programmes, but recently I visited Motutī Marae in the far north, in the Hokianga, where I met a group of young people who were doing everything from bee-keeping to fashion design, carving, real leadership programmes, and business skills with tourism ventures. They were absolutely awesome. They were making a real difference, and they were looking at sustainable employment for them in a very rural area.
Rahui KateneWhat are the likely impacts of the announcement today about the extension of Community Max on addressing the high level of Māori unemployment?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
More than 50 percent of the uptake of Community Max has been by Māori in really rural areas. I have just described one programme, but many groups—marae-based as well—have picked up these programmes. They are giving real skills to their young people. They are helping them to get drivers’ licences and to learn skills that they will take into the workforce with them. That is leading to more sustainability in those rural areas, as well. I think Community Max will make a big difference, we are already seeing it make a difference, and it is a delight to be able to put extra numbers into those areas.
Jacinda ArdernWhat is the Minister doing to find out what has happened to the 39 percent of youth who have completed the Community Max programme but who are not in work, not in training, and are not receiving any form of Government support?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
People have gone to a range of places. It is true that some of those young people have gone overseas. Some of them have stayed on their marae. They are working, they have not gone on a benefit, and they are doing more volunteer work. A number of them are doing different things. What I do know is that 80 percent of those who have completed their Community Max programme have not gone back on a benefit. That is an outstanding result.
Have any evaluations been received about the impact of Community Max, and what have been the key findings?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
At the end of May 1,466 people had completed the programme—149 of them in March, nearly 500 in April, and just over 800 in May. Of those people, 72 percent completed the full 6 months. Of those who had completed the full 6 months, 81 percent are not currently receiving a benefit, which means that they have not gone back on to a benefit and have had real results. So at this time the programme is certainly showing something positive. We want to see how it sort of trickles out over time, as well.
Can the Minister tell the House to the nearest thousand how many young people are not receiving Government support but also are not in education, training, or employment?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
That number moves around daily, as one can imagine, because young people are in and out and doing a whole lot of different activities. We have been doing an analysis across departments, because, as the member might well understand, it affects education, it affects my portfolio, and it certainly affects tertiary education, as well. Some of our preliminary results show that around 7,000 of the younger ones—16 and 17-year-olds—are not touching any sort of programme or training. That is a key focus for this Government, particularly around Youth Guarantee.