Press Release – New Zealand Government
The Auckland Council, the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Social Development are working together on an initiative to provide around 230 work experience opportunities for Auckland young people this year.

“Work experience is vitally important for young people looking for that first job,” says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

“These placements will be an opportunity for young Aucklanders to get on-the-job experience while exploring a potential career,” she says.

The initiative will place Limited Service Volunteer graduates in positions within Auckland Council departments as well as other Council Controlled Organisations or local businesses.

Auckland Council already has plans for a dozen young people to start this month, with 50 placements over the first three months and up to 230 work experience places over the next 12 months.

LSV is part of the Governments investment in work and training opportunities for young people included in the $55.2 million youth employment package in Budget 2011 and the 7,500 places through the Youth Guarantee in 2012.

“This is a great extension of LSV which sees young people graduate with increased confidence and ambition and hungry for opportunities. This initiative will capitalise on that enthusiasm.”

“The National-led Government is backing young people to gain skills and confidence but they also need work experience in real jobs,” says Ms Bennett.

“I applaud the Auckland Council and Chamber of Commerce for giving young Aucklanders this opportunity and I want to challenge other Councils and companies to follow their lead,” she said.

Press Release – Auckland Chamber of Commerce
The Auckland Chamber of Commerce is working with one of Auckland’s largest employers to supply work experience to young Aucklanders aged 18-24 years. With more than 8000 staff, 55 departments and seven council-controlled companies, the Auckland Council is pleased to be working alongside the Chamber who will be facilitating this programme.

Chamber Chief Executive, Michael Barnett, says “the opportunity for young people to have exposure to the multiple careers and work environments within the Auckland Council and its networks is endless. “

“The Mayor’s commitment to our Work Experience Programme is admirable and we look forward to working alongside the Auckland Council. The benefits to not only Auckland’s economy but New Zealand’s workforce development are greatly increased with one organisation making a commitment to invest a small amount of time in young people who are undoubtedly the future of what we want Auckland to be.”

“However, this is only one organisation and we challenge businesses throughout Auckland to make work experience available to our young people, to ensure they are exposed to multiple work opportunities to make meaningful career decisions to ensure Auckland is the world’s most liveable city.”

The initiative will target up to 1000 work experience placements for young career starters.

Purpose and Outcomes of the programme

The purpose of work experience is to provide a young person with the opportunity to try out their career of choice. There is enormous value for a young person in experiencing a normal workday, gaining confidence in the tasks and roles involved in a career and spending time with managers and mentors with real world experience.

The benefits of work experience and likely outcomes:
1) Engaging young people who are unemployed in work activity
2) Normalising work behaviours and jobs
3) Enhancing seekers’ CV’s by having work experience and work referees
4) Building networks of people who have employment opportunities within Council
5) Facilitating employment outcomes
6)
Numbers and growth
The Work Experience Programme will build into 1000 work experience placements for career starters aged 18 to 24 years old.

The young people will initially come from two existing youth employment programmes, CadetMax and Limited Service Volunteers.

The Limited Service Volunteers programme is a free six-week motivational training course run by the New Zealand Defence Force. It aims to increase the number of young people entering employment or training by improving their self-discipline, self-confidence, motivation and initiative.

CadetMax is a programme that has been specifically developed for young people. It offers young people, who are referred to the Ministry of Social Development, the opportunities, guidance and support they need to identify and achieve their career goals.

These volunteers will have just completed programmes where discipline, work readiness and self confidence are high and work experience is the next transition step into employment. Young people and trainees will have undertaken substantial career counselling and pre screening.

The first work experiences will start in February and we anticipate within the first three months to have had 50 young people placed into work experience at the Auckland Council.

As the programme develops and there is an increasing demand from Auckland Council for young people, the Auckland Chamber and Work & Income will source young job seekers from other programmes and avenues.