Outcomes and Achievements

The Department refined its intermediate outcomes and key areas of focus to achieve the Department’s outcome of productive work and high-quality working lives. The Department’s achievements for the 2007/08 year are detailed on the following pages under the four intermediate outcomes and their associated key areas of focus.

Each key achievement helped the Department move closer to its outcomes and the Government’s priorities. Full details of the Department’s achievements during the year are included in the statement of objectives and service performance and in the financial statements in this report.

DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK

Departmental Outcome
Productive Work and High-Quality Working Lives
INTERMEDIATE OUTCOMES
1. OUR PLACE IN THE WORLD: New Zealand will prosper and be enriched through its connections with the rest of the world.	2. OUR WORKPLACES: New Zealand workplaces will raise the value of work and the quality of working lives.	3. OUR WORKFORCE: New Zealand businesses will be able to recruit and retain the skilled workers they need to be internationally competitive.	4. OUR PEOPLE: All New Zealanders will be able to grow and develop through access to meaningful employment.
KEY AREAS OF FOCUS
Supporting New Zealand's prosperity and reputation through: immigration services that add to the productivity of our economy and to the richness of our society border security arrangements that manage risk assisting migrants to settle contributing to effective international standards building relationships and partnering with other countries including the Pacific region managing the humanitarian stream of the immigration programme.	Supporting and promoting productive workplace cultures through: effective labour market regulation ensuring fundamental rights at work promoting social dialogue on workplaces of the future raising awareness and expectations to facilitate improved workplace practices focusing attention on workplace productivity building firm capability to support managers and workers to better develop and utilise skills.	Influencing the supply of skilled labour by: targeting immigration to assist New Zealand businesses to access the skills they need working with industry and education sectors to help match education and training to the needs of our workers and employers.	Supporting increased labour market participation by advising government on: enhancing parents' and other carers' choices about work and family arrangements enabling youth to transition into employment and to access relevant education and training transitioning people back to work and independence after an injury enhancing employment for groups under-represented in the labour force.

INTERMEDIATE OUTCOME ONE

Our place in the world: New Zealand will prosper and be enriched through its connections with the rest of the world.

Key areas of focus:

Under this intermediate outcome, our key areas of focus are supporting New Zealand’s prosperity and reputation through:

• immigration services that add to the productivity of our economy and to the richness of our society
• border security arrangements that manage risk
• assisting migrants to settle
• contributing to effective international standards
• building relationships and partnering with other countries including the Pacific region
• managing the humanitarian stream of the immigration programme.

As a small and geographically isolated nation in an increasingly globalised world, New Zealand’s connections with the rest of the world are crucial. The Department aims to ensure a healthy domestic labour market and a prosperous economy by continuing to develop our international influence on labour and immigration and by building strong international connections. By leading the labour and immigration components of free trade negotiations, and implementing those aspects of any agreements made, the Department helps to give New Zealand a competitive advantage in this important activity.

Immigration adds value to New Zealand through the provision of skills, security and settlement. The Department facilitates the entry of permanent migrants and temporary workers with the skills to grow New Zealand’s workforce. Visitors and students help the New Zealand economy to grow. The Department also provides security to prevent the entry of people who may adversely affect our international reputation and domestic and business communities. To ensure new migrants integrate well and contribute to the New Zealand economy and society, the Department facilitates services to help migrants settle into our communities.

To fulfil New Zealand’s international obligations and enhance our international reputation, the Department builds relationships via a wide variety of international partnerships. The Department also accepts and resettles the annual UNHCR-refugee quota, as well as determining claims for asylum as part of the immigration programme’s humanitarian stream. The Department has been assessed as having a world-class refugee system.

Contributing achievements during 2007/08 include the following:

Immigration services that add to the productivity of our economy and to the richness of our society

The Department’s report on The Fiscal Impacts of Immigration, published in 2007, showed that the migrant population provided a net fiscal contribution to New Zealand of $3.3 billion in the year to 30 June 2006, up by 80 per cent from 2003.

Migrants drive innovation, give New Zealand businesses international connections and provide a range of skills to transform our economic landscape. Temporary workers enable our employers to fill job vacancies when there are no New Zealand workers available.

Without migration, many businesses would be unable to maximise their potential. Tourism is one of New Zealand’s largest employers and made an economic contribution of more than $8.8 billion for the year ended March 2007. Immigration is a major enabler of tourism in New Zealand. In the last six years, more than a million visitor applications have been decided. There was a six per cent increase in the number of visitor visa and permit decisions made in 2007/08 from the year before. International students also make a major contribution to the New Zealand economy.

Export education is the fourth largest export industry in New Zealand. In 2007/08, the Department made 95,036 student visa and permit decisions.

An emerging trend is the growing link between temporary and permanent migration. Most permanent residence applicants – 89 per cent - previously held some form of temporary permit. This makes it easier for people to make well-informed choices about settling in New Zealand and helps ensure migrants integrate well and contribute to communities.

New Zealand is now competing for migrants in an increasingly mobile global labour market. Marketing New Zealand as a migrant destination has never been more competitive. The Department recognises that, to compete successfully, we must offer first-class immigration services and deliver a system that will better serve New Zealand and migrants into the future.

Immigration Change Programme

The Department has made excellent progress on its Immigration Change Programme to ensure New Zealand responds to the opportunities and challenges provided by global migration.

Immigration must be fit for the future. The Department is working to develop modern immigration legislation, policies that reflect New Zealand’s needs and efficient delivery systems and processes that can adapt to changes in the global and national environment.

New legislation

In November 2006, Cabinet agreed to proposals to draft new legislation to replace the Immigration Act 1987. A new Immigration Bill was drafted and introduced to Parliament in August 2007 and referred to the Transport and Industrial Relations Select Committee for consideration. The Department has supported the Select Committee during consideration of the Bill, which was reported back to Parliament in July 2008. The proposed Bill seeks to:

• simplify the current visa and permit system to facilitate the entry of people to New Zealand
• expand the protection system to meet New Zealand’s international obligations to include protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT) and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
• create a new appeals system with a single tribunal that determines both appeals on the facts and humanitarian grounds
• improve risk management in regard to applications and border management to prevent the entry of people without the right to enter New Zealand
• create a transparent and fair deportation process
• clarify the provisions for third parties, such as employers and airlines
• enable more flexible decision-making through delegating the Minister of Immigration’s power to make positive exceptions to residence policy
• strengthen the monitoring and detention system
• enable new compliance powers.

The passing of the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007 led to the establishment of the Immigration Advisers Authority. This is a crucial step to ensure protection for consumers receiving immigration advice from onshore and offshore advisers. As at 27 June 2008, 368 people had attended workshops held across the country to increase awareness of the new licensing regime. More than 700 people have signed up to receive information from the Authority to assist advisers in the application process. Competency standards and a code of conduct for advisers were developed after widespread consultation, which included industry reference groups. The Authority began accepting licence applications on 5 May 2008, with the first licence granted on 25 June 2008.

Policy changes

The Department continued to develop and implement new policy initiatives under the Immigration Policy Framework. This framework repositions immigration policy to better support New Zealand’s economic growth and sustainable development to fill skill and labour gaps, manage security risks and ensure migrants settle and integrate well.

The Department developed a new temporary work policy in 2007/08, for staged implementation during 2008/09. A seasonal temporary work policy for the horticulture and viticulture industry was implemented (the RSE scheme).

A major policy change was implemented with the splitting of the Family Sponsored Stream under the New Zealand Residence Programme into the Immediate Family Stream and the Parent/Sibling/Adult Child Stream. The Immediate Family Stream is numerically uncapped and caters for partners and children of New Zealand citizens and permanent residents, while the Parent/Sibling/Adult Child Stream is numerically capped. A policy to facilitate multiple entry visits to New Zealand by parents of New Zealand citizens and residents was implemented. These policy changes seek to strengthen New Zealand families and communities, providing good outcomes for sponsors, family members and New Zealand, as well as contributing to New Zealand’s economic and social development.

The Department developed a new Active Investor Migrant Policy, more focused on economic development and based on active investment (investing directly or indirectly in New Zealand firms) that adds value to the economy. Implemented in April 2008, applications already received and currently being processed have the potential to bring around $50 million into New Zealand businesses.

New ways of delivering immigration services – Immigration Business Transformation (IBT)

In November 2007, the Department presented a Stage-1 Business Case to Cabinet outlining the future strategic direction for immigration delivery to:

• attract the right people to grow New Zealand
• identify the people New Zealand doesn’t want
• make consistent immigration decisions
• support settlement to maximise the contribution made by migrants
• manage enforcement to maintain the integrity of New Zealand’s immigration system.

Cabinet endorsed the Stage-1 Business Case and approved further work. This included funding and approval to proceed with a Stage-2 Business Case focused on nine components identified as critical enablers of delivery change. These are:

• Immigration ICT system.
• One set of data for all clients.
• Biometric identity management.
• Upgrading risk profiling methodology.
• Increased application types available online.
• Connecting the MFAT and NZTE to the new Immigration ICT system (as appropriate).
• Placement of 12 staff at airports with direct flights to New Zealand.
• Increased onshore fraud resources.
• Additional verification officers.

Border security arrangements that manage risk

During 2007/08, there were over five million people movements across the New Zealand border (arrivals and departures).

The Department is responsible for New Zealand’s border security in regard to the movement of people. This means facilitating the movement of migrants, temporary workers, students and visitors, while keeping out high-risk people who contribute very little to the country and the economy.

The Department has been successful in managing risks by ‘moving the border offshore’ and preventing high-risk people arriving in New Zealand. The number of people declined boarding through the Advanced Passenger Processing (APP) system increased from 838 in 2006/07 to 1,024 in 2007/08. This was mirrored by a decrease in the number of people refused entry at the border (from 1,328 in 2006/07 to 1,197 in 2007/08) and a decrease in undocumented passengers detained (from 51 in 2006/07 to 33 in 2007/08), demonstrating how the Department facilitates travel without adding risk and cost to New Zealand.

The Department works closely with a number of partner countries in an international community. In August 2007, New Zealand and Australia co-hosted an international workshop under the auspices of the Bali Process, with a focus on sharing information on lost and stolen passports. This was attended by delegates and observers predominantly from Asia and the Pacific.

The Department attended various Inter-Governmental Consultations on Migration, Asylum and Refugees (IGC) workshops during the year, including a global workshop on admission, control and enforcement. This provided the Department with an opportunity to link border control and admission practices with the development of the Department’s IBT and the Border Security Enforcement Strategy.

Profiling is used as a risk management tool to assist staff to identify risk attributes and better target resources. The Immigration Profiling Group continued to assess any connection by applicants to high-risk activities such as acts of genocide, war crimes or gross human rights abuses.

The Department participated in the joint agency BSGG, along with the New Zealand Customs Service, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and Biosecurity New Zealand. The BSGG developed four new operational work streams to coordinate and focus management of the border sector agencies. The Department led the Identity at the Border for Facilitation, Protection and Partnership work programme. The Border Sector Intelligence work programme was chaired by the Department’s Border Security Group Manager.

The Department piloted Immigration Information Clinics to engage with communities regarding compliance. These have been embraced by communities in the pilot, and since their introduction, other communities have asked to become involved. Education Clinics were held to inform people unlawfully in New Zealand. Some attendees were invited to test their eligibility to legalise their status by seeking permits under section 35A of the Immigration Act 1987, while others were advised to voluntarily depart New Zealand. Since the introduction of the pilot, the number of voluntary departures from New Zealand has increased to 112 in June 2008 from 79 in April 2008, which indicates success.

Assisting migrants to settle

Since February 2008, a new Welcome to New Zealand booklet has been distributed to all migrants, identifying 19 local Settlement Support New Zealandinitiatives funded by the Department. An advertising campaign to encourage people to seek assistance from Settlement Support New Zealand was rolled out in June 2008. Advertisements for an 0800 number and website ran in 27 community newspapers across New Zealand, in 13 ethnic newspapers targeting the Chinese, Korean and Indian communities and on three Chinese and Korean online news sites.

Awareness-raising activities for employers and migrant recruitment support were funded by the Department and provided through Chambers of Commerce. A Settlement Employment Model was developed to assist employers to retain skilled migrants in the workplace.

Settlement strategies and action plans, developed by the Department in partnership with local government, were launched and implemented, assisting newcomers to those regions to contribute to their region’s future.

The Call to Action for Settlement, launched by the Minister of Immigration in July 2007, led to the completion of the Wellington Regional Settlement Strategy and Plan of Action for Wellington Regional Settlement. Developed in partnership with local government, these were launched by the Associate Minister of Immigration on 30 June 2008 at a ceremony with the mayors from the Wellington region. Implementation will commence during 2008/09. Work on the Auckland Regional Settlement Strategy and Action Plan was progressed by Auckland agencies during the first year of its implementation. Both the Auckland and Wellington strategies and action plans address what recent newcomers to those regions identified as the key barriers and challenges to their integration.

Strengthening Refugee Voices aims to build the capacity of refugee communities to discuss settlement needs with local service agencies and strengthen participation in the annual National Refugee Resettlement Forum. It was successfully implemented in four key resettlement regions. These are:

• Auckland
• Hamilton
• Wellington
• Christchurch.

In response to stakeholder feedback, the Department held Regional Refugee Resettlement Forums in the key settlement regions. Each regional meeting included identifying priority resettlement issues for the region and identifying which issues could be addressed locally and which needed to be escalated to the National Refugee Resettlement Forum. The Department also held the Asylum Forum. Workshops were held relating to education and domestic violence in refugee communities, financial support of refugees and differential treatment of asylum seekers and quota refugees.

The Department co-hosted the Metropolis Plus Conference, following the 12th International Metropolis Conference hosted by Australia. The key themes were New Zealand’s immigration policy in an international context, and immigration: identity and innovation. International participants were provided with the opportunity to examine how our immigration policy integrates with our settlement system.

New Zealand's welcoming and supporting approach to settling newcomers was singled out by a visiting UK delegation (UK/NZ Dialogues, March 2008) as being a model for other migrant-receiving nations.

Contributing to effective international standards

The Department represented New Zealand at the ILO Governing Body meetings and coordinated New Zealand’s tripartite delegation to the 97th Annual International Labour Conference. During the conference, the New Zealand delegation chaired the Promotion of Skills for Improved Productivity, Employment Growth and Development Committee and undertook lead roles on the other technical committees.

The Department also attended other multilateral forums where international standards were reviewed and discussed, such as those hosted by the UNHCR and APEC.

Building relationships and partnering with other countries including the Pacific region

The Department continued to engage with other nations in multilateral activity, free trade negotiations and implementation, and knowledge-sharing. These engagements ensure that New Zealand benefits from international opportunities and knowledge, builds its international influence and meets its international obligations in the areas of labour, employment and migration. The Department led the negotiation and implementation of the trade/labour and temporary entry components of New Zealand’s free trade agreements.

Free trade agreements

The Department was significantly involved in the completion of negotiations with China and the Memorandum of Understanding on Labour Cooperation, signed as part of the free trade agreement.

The free trade agreement with China includes commitments for skilled workers to enter New Zealand for temporary employment in specific occupations and occupations where New Zealand has a current skills shortage. It also establishes a Working Holiday Scheme with China and new visa facilitation commitments. When implemented in late 2008, it will enhance the relationship between the two countries, making it easier for business people to travel to do business and for specialist and skilled people from China to work in New Zealand temporarily.

The Department continued to work on free trade negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council and the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand free trade agreement. As part of the implementation of the Arrangement on Labour between New Zealand and Thailand, the Department undertook several cooperative activities and has been involved in implementation activities under the Memorandum of Understanding on Labour Cooperation among the Parties to the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership.

Technical assistance

The Pacific region continued to be an area of focus for the Department by providing technical assistance when requested. In working with the ILO and Pacific tripartite partners, New Zealand has a strategic and aligned approach to future ILO work programmes, and the Department partnered with the ILO in hosting a tripartite workshop for the tripartite partners from Vanuatu and Samoa.

Examples of technical assistance provided in 2007/08 include participating in a tripartite workshop on developing sustainable enterprises and workplace productivity, assisting the Cook Islands with fuel tank inspection and working with Thailand on mediation services.

Working with the Pacific region

In August 2007, the Department successfully completed its year of chairing the Pacific Immigration Directors’ Conference (PIDC). Chairing PIDC enabled the Department to enhance its presence in the Pacific, showcased leadership in the region and strengthened ties with Pacific Island countries who are members of PIDC and its management board.

The Department also worked with Vanuatu and Tonga to improve border and passport systems and with Niue to build capacity of their immigration office and progressed the Pacific Region Immigration Identity Project.

The Samoan Quota and Pacific Access Category quotas were met. These quotas recognise the close historical ties that New Zealand has with Pacific states. They provide an additional route to permanent residence for people from Samoa, Fiji, [1] Kiribati, Tonga and Tuvalu. In 2007/08, 1,117 people were approved under the Pacific Access Category, and 1,202 were approved under the Samoan Quota. [2]

The ballots for the 2008 Samoan Quota and Pacific Access Category were successful, with 28,265 people registering onshore and offshore. The ballots were drawn on 25 June 2008. Permanent residence applications will be decided in 2008/09 onwards. The high number of registrations reflects efforts by the Department’s Pacific branches to promote the quotas, support media coverage and engage effectively with Pacific governments.

Managing the humanitarian stream of the immigration programme

In 2007/08, 750 UNHCR-mandated refugees resettled in New Zealand, and 274 claims for asylum were decided.

The Department managed the Humanitarian Stream of the New Zealand Residence Programme by receiving and resettling the annual quota of UNHCR-mandated refugees, determining claims for asylum and contributing to and influencing international initiatives to resolve refugee issues.

The Department continued to engage with the UNHCR to ensure that New Zealand’s voice on migration and humanitarian issues is effective and that our commitment to providing international protection continues to be evident within the global context. New Zealand’s attendance at UNHCR meetings also demonstrates commitment to the Government’s goal of national identity, in firmly placing New Zealand as a world leader in refugee protection.

At the UNHCR Executive Committee meeting in October 2007, New Zealand made interventions on the Myanmar situation, on the difficulties in receiving UNHCR-mandated Paudang refugees out of Thailand and on the protracted refugee situation in Nepal. Subsequently, New Zealand became the first country to resettle 75 Bhutanese refugees in April 2008.

In 2008, the Department began scoping work for the redevelopment of the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre and expects this work to occur in future years. This is an urgent building project that requires a capital injection to upgrade a series of temporary buildings.

INTERMEDIATE OUTCOME TWO

Our workplaces: New Zealand workplaces will raise the value of work and the quality of working lives.

Key areas of focus:

Under this intermediate outcome, our key areas of focus are supporting and promoting productive workplace cultures through:

• effective labour market regulation
• ensuring fundamental rights at work
• promoting social dialogue on workplaces of the future
• raising awareness and expectations to facilitate improved workplace practices
• focusing attention on workplace productivity
• building firm capability to support managers and workers to better develop and utilise skills.

New Zealand firms operate within a relatively tight labour market. This means workplaces need to adopt practices that will make them more productive and increase the value of their work to achieve growth.

The Department is focused on lifting the value of work in a number of ways. This is through improvements in workplace practices including leadership and management, better use of skills, advising on ways to improve workplace organisation, promoting systems to support innovation in products and services, providing advice on the benefits of increased use of equipment and technology, helping promote productive workplace culture, and health and safety. The Department is also focused on providing better information about the skills that are most needed for the economy and using this to inform the supply of skills and training.

Contributing achievements during 2007/08 include the following:

Effective labour market regulation

Responsive labour market regulation contributes to higher-performing workplaces. The Department developed and supported a number of key changes to labour market regulation during the year. These included the Health and Safety in Employment Amendment Bill (No 2), seeking to clarify the status of casual employees and providing additional rights for people in triangular employment relationships. [3]

In the year to June 2008, the Department:

• completed almost 9,000 requests for mediation services, of which 76 per cent were settled at or before the mediation event
• received nearly 230,000 calls and almost 14,000 written enquiries at the Workplace Contact Centre
• received over 1.4 million visitors to our websites, which hold a wide range of information to enhance employer and business owner access to good information on workplace practices
• found that 92 per cent of workplaces completed the health and safety compliance or enforcement actions required of them in a six-month period – well above the target of 75 per cent
• delivered 4,700 forums and information visits and over 5,000 workplace assessments related to the Health and Safety in Employment Act or the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act.

The Department took the initiative to actively consult on its Health and Safety Enforcement Policy, resulting in changes to the way that it works to focus on interventions that have the greatest impact on improving workplace practices. The Department will always focus on employers who wilfully neglect their responsibilities to keep staff safe, in order to hold these employers to account. However, the Department is also keen to work with employers to facilitate them improving their own health and safety practices, and it encourages motivated employers to access self-help material, providing information and access to resources.

Modern regulatory IT practice means the Department continually assesses service delivery resources, from enforcement and compliance to advice and facilitation, to ensure they are directed to the areas of highest risk. It also carries out intensive investigations where an assessment shows these will have the greatest impact to improve workplace health and safety practices. This includes efforts to ensure the service response is consistent nationally and is effectively tailored to a client’s needs.

Ensuring fundamental rights at work

A number of legislative changes during the 2007/08 year focused on strengthening basic rights at work. The Employment Relations (Breaks and Infant Feeding) Amendment Bill provides for people working an eight hour day to be entitled to two paid ten-minute meal breaks and also for employees who wish to feed their infants to have access to facilities and breaks for this purpose. This will be supported by a code of employment practice offering guidance to employers on how to uphold their obligations. The Holidays (Transfer of Public Holidays) Amendment Bill allows for the transfer of public holidays for someone who works a shift that crosses the hour of midnight on a public holiday.

The Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Act (No 2) expanded cover for work-related injuries, changed eligibility and entitlement to weekly compensation, and entitlement and processes for vocational rehabilitation.

A youth campaign targeted at raising awareness of fundamental rights and health and safety among Maori and Pacific workers, and young workers, was undertaken during the year. It included fact sheets for different groups, a radio song competition and a Know Your Rights package for use in secondary schools. The Health and Safety in Employment Regulations 1995 are being extended to cover young people under the age of 15 who do contract work. This would prevent them doing hazardous work or working in hazardous workplaces.

Changes to the Minimum Wage (New Entrants) Amendment Act have provided for discounts to be based on experience rather than purely on age. The removal of discriminatory youth rates encourages employers and young workers to focus on skill development requirements rather than the age of the employee.

Promoting social dialogue on workplaces of the future

The Department of Labour’s Partnership Resource Centre was established in 2004 to promote positive workplace relations between unions and employers. It has been active in working with over 20 workplaces, assisting people to work through important issues and develop more productive employment relations. One significant achievement was assisting parties to the nurses multi-employer collective agreement to reach a settlement using an interest-based bargaining approach. Both parties commented that the process had been as important as the outcome and that the bargaining process had actually enhanced their relationship rather than undermined it.

Other significant work undertaken during the year included assisting the parties at a stevedoring company at the Port of Tauranga to address the issue of casualisation and supporting a joint working group at NZ Bus in Auckland to set up a workplace-based health clinic to address the problem of diabetes amongst the workforce.

The Workplace Health and Safety Council was set up to advise government on health and safety, a key action in the Workplace Health and Safety Strategy. The council includes government, employer and employee representatives working together to reach national consensus on critical issues for workplace health and safety. It has commenced a process of regular engagement with officials from various agencies and is planning to engage health and safety practitioners and other interested groups.

The first Employment Relations Education Evaluation Conference took place on 5 March 2008. The conference was well received by over 200 delegates representing employers, employer organisations, unions, training providers and individuals. The Employment Relations Education evaluation research was also well received, and strategic planning will be informed by this research.

The first pay and employment equity review commenced, with Crown Entities AgResearch, HortResearch and the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) participating. Reviews were also undertaken by local government authorities, with the Gisborne District Council and Waitakere City Council participating.

Raising awareness and expectations to facilitate improved workplace practices

Small to medium-sized enterprises dominate the New Zealand economy. Feedback shows many struggle with basic workplace requirements, frequently through misunderstanding or a lack of timely information.

The Workplace Contact Centre is the front door for the Workplace Group in the Department. During the year, it continued to develop into a more dynamic and innovative contact centre aiming to provide clients with consistent and accurate information and resolve 75-80 per cent of calls without referring them elsewhere in the Department. Of the 701 customer survey respondents, 95 per cent were satisfied with the services, information and tools provided. A positive impact is that 56 per cent stated they had changed or intended to make changes to their workplace practices following the contact.

The New Zealand Herald described one of the Department’s websites (www.ers.dol.govt.nz) as a one-stop site containing everything you needed to know about employment law. The Herald labelled the site an invaluable resource for businesses, citing tools such as the employment agreement builder and the holiday pay calculator as useful downloadable resources.

A new tool, the Hazard Handler Tool, has been developed and added to the well-accessed range of existing online tools. This will support businesses (especially small businesses) to identify and mitigate health and safety hazards.

The Holidays Online Tool was a finalist in the government category of the Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards. The tool was actively promoted in the lead-up to the 2007 Christmas holiday period to address the misconception that ‘holidays are too hard to calculate’. The promotion resulted in over 71,000 unique visits to the online tool.

The Department continued its programme of reporting on the dynamics of the labour market and what this might mean to policy service delivery changes.

The Department developed a new Key Information Tool, which presents a range of key labour market information broken down by different sectors, with key indicators that aim to help understanding of the various dimensions of the labour market.

Focusing attention on workplace productivity

Workplace productivity is a key to lifting New Zealand’s living standards and wealth. We can increase the value of what we produce by working in different and better ways. For example, the Department draws on the expertise and drive of the Workplace Productivity Reference Group to focus its activities on awareness-raising, development of diagnostic goals, implementation and research. This group is made up of people who have influence in New Zealand industry, including unions and business organisations, and their main focus is the deployment of skills and human capital in the workplace. During 2007/08, this group focused on establishing a clear vision of the future workplace, active collaboration with trusted partners to develop and demonstrate initiatives that improve organisational and workplace performance and integrating a workplace perspective into and leveraging off relevant initiatives developed elsewhere.

Key achievements in 2007/08 included the following:

• The Department signed a funding agreement with the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union and the Dairy Workers Union to implement a project to improve productivity in a number of workplaces. It is one of three established partnerships for improving productivity.
• The Department and the Employers' and Manufacturers' Association (Central) collaborated in a productivity project, along with three niche manufacturing firms. Analysis of the firms’ productivity was completed, and a number of recommendations were made.
• A set of resources and case studies on State Services Workplace Productivity were developed with the State Services Commission and Public Service Association to demonstrate good workplace practices and encourage public sector organisations to take steps to raise productivity.

The Workplace Change Programme within the Department sought to increase its effectiveness and efficiency through the use of technology, more effective processes, and enhanced structures and practices. These major initiatives were completed:

• Workplace health and safety field staff were equipped with a mobile device and applications to support the provision of pertinent, accurate and timely information, which enables them to record data, provide information and demonstrate best practice examples to clients while on site.
• Services to the public were improved by better connecting the contact centre to field offices to reduce double handling of calls by both clients and departmental staff.

Building firm capability to support managers and workers to better develop and utilise skills

Strengthening business capability to support managers and workers to better develop and utilise skills has been an ongoing focus for the Department. An appropriately skilled labour force is important for New Zealand to improve labour productivity and increase our economic growth in the future.

The New Zealand Skills Strategy

In 2007/08, the Department hosted the Programme Office of the New Zealand Skills Strategy.

Ministers, in association with social partners and the Industry Training Federation, launched the New Zealand Skills Strategy consultation document on 29 April 2008. This was followed by consultation in 23 locations nationwide. The New Zealand Skills Strategy Action Plan 2008 was developed based on the consultation process and was launched by the Prime Minister in July 2008.

The Department is responsible for raising workforce and employer awareness of the benefits of literacy, language and numeracy skills. A key achievement was implementing the multi-year Upskilling Partnership Programme. Launched in early 2007, it is designed to increase the number of workplaces engaging in literacy programmes through upskilling partnerships. By the end of the year, 22 partnerships were in place with 15 of them being evaluated.

Findings from the evaluations of two partnership programmes have shown up to a third of employees have improved their Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) Survey reading level. There have also been improvements in work-related practices such as communication and paperwork.

The Department has developed a database of information about the supply, demand and matching of skills across a broad range of occupations. The Integrated Skills Platform was launched in June 2008. This information is intended to inform policies to enhance the relationship between the supply and demand for skills.

Work on building firm capability has been undertaken with the Ministry of Economic Development. The Department started work to streamline government firm capability programmes and improve links with private sector initiatives. The first step focuses on initiatives for management capability development.

INTERMEDIATE OUTCOME THREE

Our workforce: New Zealand business will be able to recruit and retain the skilled workers they need to be internationally competitive.

Key areas of focus:

Under this intermediate outcome, our key areas of focus are influencing the supply of skilled labour by:

• targeting immigration to assist New Zealand businesses to access the skills they need
• working with industry and education sectors to help match education and training to the needs of our workers and employers.

Developing a skilled and productive workforce and increasing the number of globally competitive New Zealand firms is a cornerstone of the economic transformation agenda. Productivity improvements are largely dependent on a skilled workforce that is able to undertake new, more efficient work and use new technologies. New Zealand has suffered skill and labour shortages for several years, constraining economic growth. The Department develops policies encouraging the building of skills and workforce participation so people are able to participate in the workforce and their skills are well used and kept up to date.

Work skills of the labour force have also been developed through the Upskilling Partnership Programme (see Intermediate Outcome 2). The Department ensures it attracts the right people to meet New Zealand’s skill and labour shortages, while ensuring New Zealanders are given first priority for jobs.

Contributing achievements during 2007/08 include the following:

• Approved 27,302 Business/Skilled Stream permanent migrants in an environment of strong competition in the global marketplace.
• Delivered 187,667 temporary work visa and permit decisions, providing New Zealand businesses with the workers they need. This is up 13 per cent on last year.
• Implemented the new RSE scheme providing workers for New Zealand’s horticulture and viticulture industries, which is improving employment practice, meeting business needs and providing opportunities for development for Pacific nations.
• Facilitated tripartite engagement in the meat industry to create a strategic approach to their labour market issues.
• Delivered the Labour Market Skills and Investment Tool with a customised user guide.

Targeting Immigration to assist New Zealand businesses to access the skills they need

Over the past five years, permanent and temporary migrants have accounted for 60 per cent of the growth in New Zealand’s workforce, helping to grow New Zealand businesses.

Despite high levels of workforce participation, employers have continued to face significant labour shortages, with 20 per cent of firms saying the lack of suitably skilled people is their main constraint to growth. Targeted immigration aims to address this. Skill and labour shortages unable to be filled by New Zealanders have led to increasing numbers of permanent and temporary migrants filling job vacancies across all skill levels in New Zealand.

Skilled migrants

Properly matched, talented and skilled migrants enhance the local workforce by sharing skills, experiences and knowledge, leading to innovation. These workers also bring access to networks and knowledge not always available to New Zealanders.

To help bring these people to New Zealand, the Department works to actively recruit suitable migrants through programmes such as the SMC and the Work to Residence Policy. Temporary work permits are also issued to skilled workers for limited periods and to young people from partner countries through reciprocal Working Holiday Schemes.

Since the introduction of the SMC, more than 46,000 principal applicants have been approved for residence under this policy.

The SMC is New Zealand’s premier immigration product, providing residence opportunities for skilled people. A review in early 2007 identified a number of areas where it could be enhanced to increase its attractiveness while still maintaining the quality of applicants.

In July 2007, changes were made to the bonus points available at the Expression of Interest (EOI) stage to simplify the policy and better recognise the attributes of skilled migrants that we are seeking to attract. These changes included introducing bonus points for a partner’s skilled job or job offer, recognising those EOIs that include two skilled migrants and the introduction of bonus points for holding a New Zealand post-graduate qualification.

A more transparent definition of skilled employment was introduced in February 2008, based on Australia-New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) Skill Levels 1, 2 and 3, and allows for occupations to be excluded or included if considered to be appropriate by the Minister of Immigration. In addition, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority will produce an expanded list of recognised qualifications over the next three years.

A further review of the SMC was undertaken this year, and a report back to Cabinet is expected next year.

In October 2007, the Department launched a pilot programme - Magnet - which seeks to attract highly skilled migrants to New Zealand to address skill shortages in specific occupations. Magnet uses Google™ advertising to encourage people from the United States and the United Kingdom to register if they are interested in migrating to New Zealand. We maintain ongoing contact with people who have registered and facilitate communication between those registered with a specific skill set and selected employers with specific employment needs.

The Department has monitored the results of the pilot programme by tracking the number of people that go on to work in New Zealand. There have been over 44,000 registrations to date, with the cost of the pilot being approximately $20 per registrant. Of the registrants:

• more than 12,000 have been linked with New Zealand employers
• 40 per cent have skills identified as being in long-term shortage in New Zealand
• 42 per cent have university degrees
• 18 per cent have post-graduate degrees.

Temporary workers

A record number of 187,667 temporary work applications were decided in 2007/08 - up 13 per cent from 2006/07.

Employers are increasingly seeking temporary migrants to fill positions in areas of skill shortages, and there has been a corresponding increase in the number of applications being decided by the Department. Since 2000/01, the number of temporary work application decisions has increased an average of 18 per cent per annum.

The current general work policy was designed to be used for skilled occupations. However, labour shortages have seen temporary migrants increasingly used by employers to fill lower skilled occupations when New Zealand workers are not available.

A review was the basis of the development of the new Essential Skills Policy. This differentiates between lower and higher skilled temporary migration. A ‘Kiwis first’ principle is fundamental to the new temporary work policy. The first stage of the policy will be implemented next year and will include:

• a requirement for employers to notify Work and Income of lower skilled job vacancies
• new tools to ensure that terms and conditions of employment are upheld
• a new facilitative work permit for highly skilled workers and intra-corporate transferees
• combining the current two skill shortage lists into one list to improve efficiency and transparency for employers of skilled workers.

Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme

New Zealand’s current low unemployment, combined with global competition for labour, has led to an increase in labour shortages, especially in the horticulture and viticulture industries. To ensure we remain internationally competitive, these industries require an ongoing supply of labour to fill seasonal shortages. Accordingly, the Department in conjunction with industry stakeholders, developed the RSE scheme as a long-term seasonal labour shortage solution and to respond to the Pacific’s requests for improved access to the New Zealand labour market.

The scheme has been well received by industry, and stakeholder commitment to it has remained high. During the year, 105 employers were granted RSE status, enabling them to apply to recruit workers offshore, with 74 per cent of RSE workers coming from the five ‘kick-start’ states (Kiribati, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu).

During the year, 4,913 RSE visas and permits were approved, meeting seasonal labour shortages in the horticulture and viticulture industries.

The Department ensures policy and legislative compliance with employment relations law, immigration policy and workplace health and safety. While these roles have a compliance focus, our approach taken has been facilitative as far as possible. We have established working relationships with RSE employers and employees to work through issues and aid the effective implementation of RSE policy. Most issues that have arisen have been able to be resolved through support, information, education and negotiation. A recent audit of the RSE scheme has been completed on pastoral care and wages.

A two-year Transitional Recognised Seasonal Employer (TRSE) policy was developed and implemented in late 2007, when it became apparent that many small growers and contractors required additional time to gain RSE status. It allows employers who have committed to working towards utilising RSE policy to recruit temporary workers within New Zealand.

The policy allows workers to be granted a four-month work permit and visitors to work for up to six weeks where there is peak labour demand. In addition, a permit extension can be granted to working holiday makers who worked for three months in the horticulture or viticulture industries. Since the policy was implemented, 1,631 TRSE work permits have been approved.

Working with industry and education sectors to help match education and training to the needs of our workers and employers

The Department works collaboratively with industries, sectors, regions and agencies to match the skill needs of employers with workers.

Horticulture and viticulture

Engagement with the horticulture and viticulture industry continued with the formation of New Zealand Master Contractors Incorporated (NZMCI) in December 2007. This was a significant milestone in implementing the national seasonal labour strategy. NZMCI was formed to represent the interests of contractors in the horticulture and viticulture industry and covers Nelson/Marlborough, Hawkes Bay and Bay of Plenty regions. NZMCI is part of the joint Department and Industry National Master Contractors Productivity Project and has the immediate aim of assisting industry to raise its productivity. Its first priority is the development of national best practice standards. These will ensure seasonal labour contractors meet the minimum workplace employment standards.

Food and beverage

The implementation of the Skills and Training Action Group (STAG), within the food and beverage sector, has progressed in the meat processing and dairy (on-farm level) industries. Within the meat industry, the Department facilitated a tripartite engagement to create a strategic approach to their labour market issues, including the immigration component. Representatives from Silver Fern Farms Ltd, ANZCO Foods, Meat Industry Association, New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, NZ Meatworkers Union, Ministry of Social Development and the Department of Labour are involved.

A forecasting tool for the dairy industry has been developed and was tested by the New Zealand Industry Training Organisation (the dairy processing industry training organisation). Industry feedback has been positive, reporting that the tool complemented and reinforced existing data in dairy processing.

Regional labour market development

The Department contributed to positive progress towards labour market development in all New Zealand regions during 2007/08. Regional labour market strategies are in place in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Wellington/Kapiti/Wairarapa, Tasman/Nelson/West Coast, Canterbury and Southland.

In Northland, this has led to the completion of the Northland Survey of Employers, the initiation of the workplace productivity project with the Chamber of Commerce and a labour force scoping project with Te Uri o Hau Settlement Trust. In Wellington, the focus has been on a productivity project involving a manufacturing cluster in the Hutt Valley. In Tasman, the Workforce Development Strategy has been in the implementation stage since 2006. A range of initiatives have been implemented or completed, with a focus on training, seasonality, youth and migrants.

Joint regional labour market development workshops have been held, in partnership with the Economic Development Association of New Zealand, the TEC, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Social Development and Foundation for Research, Science and Technology. The regional workshops were designed to:

• build alignment between key private and public sector partners to enhance economic development activity in the regions and increase understanding of local and regional community issues
• strengthen links between regional and national strategies
• develop best practice in working together to build strong regional economies.

Auckland region

The Metro Action Plan was launched in 2007 with six projects that the Department is contributing to, including reducing the skill gap and improving career choices. Within ‘The One Plan’, the region has adopted an upskilling language, literacy and numeracy programme as one of its six significant flagship projects. A skills and local economic development plan is also under development within the Tamaki Transformation project.

Tertiary education reforms

The Department delivered the Labour Market Skills and Investment Tool to the TEC together with a customised user guide in November 2007.

The information has been shared with the Ministry of Education, which is considering its application to support their role in monitoring the Tertiary Education Strategy and the Statement of Tertiary Education Priorities. Feedback from the TEC has been very positive.

Support for Te Uri o Hau Settlement Trust

The Department has worked with Te Uri o Hau Settlement Trust to develop labour market opportunities for their hapu, iwi and regional labour force in Northland. The trust and the Department have agreed to formalise a Memorandum of Understanding for further resources and support for the final stage of scoping work. This will form the foundation document for a major regional initiative application.

The Annual In-Depth Regional Reports

The Department launched 12 Annual In-Depth Regional Reports in July 2008.

This year, the focus of the regional reports was on youth labour market statistics at a regional and territorial authority’s level. Information is primarily from the Population Census, enhanced by regional qualitative content provided by the Department’s Labour Market Knowledge Managers.

IT recruiters survey

The Survey of IT Recruiters 2008 explored the difficulties experienced by recruiting and contracting agencies in finding candidates to fill specific IT occupations. The survey found 36 of the 50 IT occupations surveyed were difficult to fill in 2008.

Job Vacancy Monitoring Programme (JVMP)

There are declining numbers of job vacancies being advertised in newspapers and an increasing number on the internet. To maintain the relevance of the JVMP, internet vacancy information must be integrated into the regular Job Vacancy Monitor series (monthly count of vacancies to monitor labour market trends) and the Survey of Employers who have Recently Advertised. By the end of June 2008, good progress had been made in negotiating with internet job board providers and developing the infrastructure needed to collate, process and analyse online job vacancy data.

Survey of Employers who have Recently Advertised (SERA) 2007

The report identified widespread skill and labour shortages in New Zealand: only 54 per cent of the advertised vacancies included in SERA 2007 were filled within ten weeks of advertising. The survey found shortages existed for each of the nine major occupational groups in 2007. Fill rates were lowest among trades workers at 37 per cent, followed by service and sales workers at 51 per cent. Between 2006 and 2007, skill shortages worsened for clerks, service and sales workers, and trades workers, while the remaining major occupational groups showed little or no change.

INTERMEDIATE OUTCOME FOUR

Our people: All New Zealanders will be able to grow and develop through access to meaningful employment.

Key areas of focus:

Under this intermediate outcome, our key areas of focus are supporting increased labour market participation by advising government on:

• enhancing parents’ and other carers’ choices about work and family arrangements
• enabling youth to transition into employment and to access relevant education and training
• transitioning people back to work and independence after an injury
• enhancing employment for groups under-represented in the labour force.

Despite a low unemployment rate and high levels of workforce participation, New Zealand continues to have skill and labour shortages. Participation barriers prevent or discourage some groups of New Zealanders from gaining employment, so developing policies to assist these people with transitioning into, or back into, the workforce and reducing barriers to participation are increasingly important. Enabling more people to participate in paid work, particularly higher-value or skilled work, assists in New Zealand’s economic growth.

Contributing achievements during 2007/08 include the following:

• Leading the Choices Plan of Action to enhance parents’ and other carers’ choices about work and family.
• Employment Relations (Flexible Working Arrangements) Amendment Act 2007, which provides employees with caring responsibilities the right to request flexible work.
• Contributed to the cross-agency Schools Plus programme to better realise the potential of young people in New Zealand.
• Developed nearly 100 iwi labour market profiles for distribution to all iwi.

Enhancing parents’ and other carers’ choices about work and family arrangements

Parents with caring responsibilities face significant barriers to participating in paid work. Improving the range of choices that they and other carers have about work enables them to make choices that lead to the best possible outcomes for them, their children, business and the community.

The Department has led the Choices Plan of Action, a cross-government piece of work that promotes flexible work for employers and employees. Other agencies involved include the Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Women's Affairs, Te Puni Kokiri, the Treasury, Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The Employment Relations (Breaks and Infant Feeding) Amendment Bill protects and promotes infant feeding. This is described in more detail under Intermediate Outcome 2.

The following research was completed this year and helped inform Choices policy:

• Evaluation of the Promoting Early Childhood Education Participation Project (PPP): A study of the early effects of free early childhood education on participating services, focusing on changes to service processes, policies (including charging policies), costs and revenue.
• Working Long Hours in New Zealand: A profile of long hours workers using data from the 2006 Census: Research with the Families Commission as part of the Work-Life Balance Project, which aims to develop better balance between paid work and other aspects of life.

Enabling youth to transition into employment and to access relevant education and training

Youth who are inactive in the labour market and not in training are more likely be in that state when they are older. Improving the transition from school into work or education and training opportunities has a positive effect on the labour market and a significant impact on their lives.

Changes to the Minimum Wage (New Entrants) Amendment Act have provided for discounts to be based on experience rather than purely on age. This is described further under Intermediate Outcome 2.

The Department contributed to the cross-agency Schools Plus programme to better realise the potential of young people. Schools Plus was developed to achieve the Government's goal that all young people are in education, skills development, or structured learning, relevant to their needs and abilities, until the age of 18.

Input from the Department included analysis of the work and training picture for young people under 18 who are currently in full-time work and identifying issues and opportunities for employers, including those who employ significant numbers of young people.

Transitioning people back to work and independence after an injury

ACC aims to reduce the barriers that could prevent injured people from returning to the workforce. Monitoring rehabilitation and the return to work outcomes are a major focus of the Department’s role in terms of improving labour market outcomes.

The Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Compensation Amendment Act (No 2) passed in June 2008, continuing the Government's commitment to a fair and sustainable ACC scheme for reducing the incidence and impact of personal injury. The amendments change cover for work-related injuries, eligibility and entitlement to weekly compensation and entitlement and processes for vocational rehabilitation. In particular:

• Over 400,000 workers in casual and seasonal employment, or about 20 per cent of the workforce, stand to gain improved accident compensation cover if they are injured. Casual and seasonal workers' long-term weekly compensation will be based on the workers' earning periods, rather than on the 52 weeks before the injury, which may have included non-earning periods.
• Coverage for a mental injury caused by exposure to a sudden traumatic event in the course of employment was introduced.
• Coverage provisions for work-related gradual process, disease, and infection were amended to ensure people harmed by their work receive greater access to cover and more clarity around whether cover is available and how it is determined.
• Legislative provisions for vocational rehabilitation were enhanced.

Rehabilitation and return to work outcomes are a major focus of the Department’s monitoring of ACC performance. This was reflected in the development of ACC’s 2008/09 accountability documentation, such as the Minister for ACC’s Letter of Expectations. A reporting and monitoring framework, when agreed, will strengthen the Department’s monitoring of ACC’s performance.

Enhancing employment for groups under-represented in the labour force

This key area of focus links directly to the Department’s requirement to report on our effectiveness in reducing inequalities. The Department leads or contributes to a number of initiatives to reduce disadvantage and promote equal opportunity.

Labour market reports

Reporting in relation to this key area of focus included annual labour market reports - Female Labour Market Outcomes, Maori Labour Market Outcomes, Pacific Peoples Labour Market Outcomes and Older Workers Labour Market Outcomes. See www.dol.govt.nz/publications/lmr.

Findings from the labour market reports showed that:

• employment growth for females has been high at 2.5 per cent per annum on average since June 1999 and 1.5 per cent for the year to June 2008 - the economy-wide average is 2.3 per cent since 1999 and 1.1 per cent for the year to June 2008
• the participation rate for Maori was 67.8 per cent for the year to June 2008 – up 0.2 per cent from June 2007 and up 6.4 per cent from June 1999
• the participation rate for Pacific people was 63.6 per cent for the year to June 2008 – up 0.7 per cent from June 2007 and up 2.9 percent from June 1999
• the unemployment rate for youth increased to 14.4 per cent for the year to June 2008 - up 0.4 per cent from June 2007 but down 2.9 per cent from June 1999
• the participation rate for older workers increased over the last year reaching 42 per cent for the year to June 2008 – up 0.9 per cent from June 2007 and up 12.3 per cent from June 1999. 4

Improving Maori labour market outcomes

The Department developed nearly 100 iwi labour market profiles with Ngai Tahu for distribution to all iwi. These consist of a promotional pamphlet, user guide and CD containing the Tu Mai Iwi information tool. The tool and user guide were released on the Department’s website alongside the existing suite of online labour market information tools. Work continues with Ngai Tahu on the methods for disseminating the tool.

Maori Strategy

In April 2008, the Department held a hui to discuss the Maori Strategy. A key objective of the strategy is to enable the Department to identify and focus on those areas where it can make the biggest difference to enhancing Maori economic and labour market development outcomes. Two high-level supporting outcome areas have been identified within the strategy - Maori business development and Maori workforce development.

Workplace Pasefika Marketing Plan 2007/2008

Produced by the Pacific Advisory Group Workplace, it aims to “influence and achieve productive work and high-quality working lives for Pacific people.” Its purpose is to effectively communicate Workplace’s services, targeting Pacific people in high-risk industries, the voluntary sector, migrants and youth. This is needed to proactively respond to Pacific people and help make workplaces more efficient. The strategy aims to develop communication resources promoting workplace health and safety and employment relations.

One of the initiatives to come out of the marketing plan is the Puataunofo Manukau Project. The project aims to raise awareness of workplace safety issues for Pacific workers and their employers, particularly in high-risk workplaces. The Department of Labour with support from the Puataunofo Manukau Project Team has produced Come Home Safely, a DVD aimed at raising Pacific workers’ awareness and knowledge of their health and safety rights and obligations in the workplace.

The Puataunofo Manukau Project Team is a strategic and multi-agency collaboration led by the Department of Labour in partnership with ACC, Manukau City Council, Council of Trade Unions Komiti Pasefika, the Engineering Printing and Manufacturing Union and Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs.

Ethnic responsiveness

The Department worked on achieving outcomes relating to the Ethnic Responsiveness Strategy in 2007/08. These included distributing the Welcome to New Zealand booklet, completing the Wellington Regional Settlement Strategy and Plan of Action, Strengthening Refugee Voices, and holding Regional Refugee Resettlement Forums. These are described in more detail under Intermediate Outcome 1.

Pay and employment equity

In April 2008, a Pay and Employment Equity Forum was held to examine the progress made - and what lies ahead - in delivering the Government’s pay and Employment Equity Plan of Action. The plan will ensure remuneration is free of gender bias and barriers to employment equity for women are removed. The forum highlighted the first-rate work of the Department, in particular the Pay and Employment Equity Unit, towards meeting these key Government priorities.

People with a disability

During 2007/08, the Department continued to implement the New Zealand Disability Strategy. The strategy aims to eliminate physical and attitudinal barriers for people with disabilities, so they are able to reach their potential and participate fully in the community.

The Department plays a key role in ensuring full participation of disabled people in the labour market through:

• providing advice and information about the role the labour market, and intervention in the labour market, can play in the economic transformation of New Zealand and improving outcomes for those groups under-represented in the workforce, such as people with disabilities
• providing policy, purchase and monitoring advice that contributes to reducing injury in New Zealand workplaces, and we assist those who are injured to return to work and provide vocational rehabilitation to assist people who are unable to return to their pre-injury occupation
• supporting increased labour market participation by leading the Government’s work programme on enhancing employment for groups under-represented in the workforce
• improving our capability, policies and practices in relation to disability awareness, both for people with disabilities employed by the Department and people with disabilities in the general workforce.

Flexible work has been identified by disabled people as one of the most valuable initiatives that workplaces could offer to enable disabled people to contribute fully at work. A major initiative by the Department to benefit disabled people includes the Employment Relations (Flexible Working Arrangements) Amendment Act 2007. The Act will contribute to raising awareness among employers about the benefits of flexible work and provide greater opportunities for disabled people seeking employment.

New Zealand Skills Strategy

The Department is responsible for actions relating to the raising of workforce and employer awareness of the benefits of literacy, language and numeracy skills. As described under Intermediate Outcome 2, the New Zealand Skills Strategy consultation document was launched in April 2008 to address this. A key theme was that many groups, in addition to young people in the workforce (the original target group), would benefit from tailored actions and responses. These include people returning to the workforce, migrants, people with disabilities, older people, Pacific people and Maori. The New Zealand Skills Strategy Action Plan 2008 was developed to include the skill needs of these groups.

Workplace Health and Safety Strategy for New Zealand to 2015

The Workplace Health and Safety Strategy for New Zealand to 2015 provides a framework for the workplace health and safety activities of government agencies, local government, unions, employer and industry organisations, other non-government organisations and workplaces. The strategy relates directly to Maori and Pacific people who are highly represented in often dangerous working conditions.

It is aimed at significantly reducing New Zealand’s work toll, through:

• raising awareness of workplace health and safety
• helping coordinate and prioritise the actions of a wide range of organisations
• improving the infrastructure that supports workplace health and safety.

Choices for Living, Caring and Working

As part of the Department’s work on Choices for Living, Caring and Working, high-priority information needs have been identified. These include:

• vulnerable workers and low paid workers with caring responsibilities
• understanding the workforce participation, preferences and priorities of Maori and Pacific populations
• workforce participation, preferences and priorities of refugee and ethnic minority populations.

ACC scheme

ACC continued to work towards the removal of barriers to the scheme that have prevented or discouraged some New Zealanders, including Maori, Pacific people, other ethnic groups, older workers and people with a disability, from accessing entitlements. This is now a key performance indicator for ACC.

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