Despite sitting at the negotiating table, Steve Maharey has taken the government to task for not allocating money in its budget policy statement last month to meet the cost of the Employment Taskforce recommendations. Maharey estimates the cost of the recommendations to be about $300 million. But, in the budget statement, the government's total allocation for new policies across all areas was only $200 million.

Over the last couple of months, the PPTA has been embarking on an extensive campaign to promote the worthiness of the recommendations contained in the Employment Taskforce report, and to push for more resources for schools.

The PPTA believes the Taskforce report represents a precious opportunity for action : "It provides a very rare opportunity to improve the life chances of NZ's young people. It is a blueprint for the future of education and training in this country ..." The PPTA plans to take their message to Schools Boards of Trustees, MP's, Businesses and Unions over coming weeks with the aim of promoting the Taskforce proposals, and developing a commitment from Government to resource the schools to enable them to make their contribution to the solutions.

The strategy includes Job Compact, aimed at assisting long-term unemployed, and allowing employers providing accredited training to pay below-ward wages. The National Employment and Training Taskforce (NETFORCE) has also been established to decide on a programme of infrastructure spending and direct job growth. One of the major stated aims of Working Nation is to also change employer's attitudes towards using the Commonwealth Employment Service (CES), something the employers are apparently loathe to do.

Australia's regional employment strategies are based on the creation of a national network of Area Consultative Committees (ACC) who have a government-appointed leadership similar to the NZ Taskforce proposals for a network of Employment Commissioners. A typical ACC committee comprises local employers, unions, community organisations and educational institutes. There is a large focus on helping local industries to forge better links with CES offices, but the ACCs are also involved in supporting the other Working Nation programmes - the Youth Training Initiative, the Entry Level Training Opportunities, and New Work Opportunities.

The review has been undertaken for the Cabinet committee on enterprise, industry and development by Labour Secretary John Chetwin and Commerce Secretary John Belgrave. It was due to report on March 31st, as this issue of the Jobsletter was going to press.

Amidst this review, there is particular concern amongst local Enterprise Agencies for the future of Be Your Own Boss, Business Grow and Business Link funding at present administered through the Community Employment Group (CEG). Annette King believes that the future of CEG's major programmes is in doubt : "It looks as though they are going to hand everything to do with business over to Business Development Boards, and CEG's major `off the shelf' enterprise programmes will be handed over to the BDB's."

King : "What we need is an integrated approach to enterprise assistance which combines CEG's flexibility with the business focus of the BDB's and which is based in partnership between central and local government, community and business. What we are getting is a thinly disguised hatchet job which hasn't taken into account the full picture..."

Source New Zealand Herald, 27/3/95, Business schemes review

The good news in the figures is for government schemes which are targeted towards long-term unemployed people: the number of people out of work for more than 6 months have dropped 22.2%, and the longer-term unemployed (over 2 yrs) have dropped 23.7%.

Source New Zealand Herald, 17/3/95, 17pcc drop in jobless, The Dominion, 17/3/95, Decrease in jobless figures continues

The seven indicators in the Index are: unemployment, the percentage of Maori and Pacific Islanders in the population, the percentage on Income Support, the number of single parents with dependent children, the number of multi-family households, the degree of isolation and the cost of housing.

SOCIAL and WELFARE NEEDS INDICATOR INDEX
Developed by Ernst and Young for the Community Funding Agency

EXTREMELY HIGH
Northland
The East Coast

MODERATELY HIGH
Central North Island
Auckland
Canterbury

MODERATELY LOW
Wellington
Nelson
Malborough
Taranaki
Manawatu
Otago
Southland

Meanwhile, Republican congressmen are pushing forward with their own welfare-shrinking programme which promises to go much further than NZ conservatives could ever dream possible. The Republican package is being described as a radical change away from the style of welfare system introduced to the US by Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal during the 1930's Great Depression.

Under consideration in Washington : limiting benefit entitlements to two years, which will force people to either take work or go on job schemes; refusing benefits to solo mothers if they have additional children after going on welfare; limiting benefits to immigrants; denying unmarried mothers under 18 any cash assistance; and capping childcare programmes and school lunch programmes.

Source New Zealand Herald, 27/3/95, PM expects welfare focus in US, The Dominion, 27/3/95,Bolger takes cautious line on welfare