WHAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE
CONTRIBUTING TO THE GOVERNMENTS OBJECTIVES
The Department’s new outcomes framework (described in more detail in the next section) contributes substantially to the Government’s policy agenda for this term of office – the three priorities of economic transformation, national identity and opportunity and security for families, young and old. The Government wants “a strong economy to deliver the living standards, the services, and the quality of life which the citizens of our first world country expect, deserve, and are prepared to work for”, and recognises that “a strong economy requires a healthy, well-educated, highly motivated, and confident people to drive it to ever greater achievements” (Prime Minister’s statement to Parliament on 14 February 2006).
The Department of Labour will contribute to all three of the Government’s key priorities:
Economic transformation
We will play a key role in transforming the economy, through promoting initiatives to develop a skilled, innovative and productive workforce. Our work around high-performing workplaces and skill shortages can generate the transformative changes needed for higher productivity, skills and innovation in the economy. We will be looking for ways we can build on our current partnership activities with business and unions, as well as with other government agencies (local and regional) to promote economic transformation.
Our work on skills, productivity and innovation will also link into the initiatives in other priority areas of the Government’s agenda for economic transformation – building globally-competitive firms, improving our infrastructure to ensure a world-class economic performance (with a particular focus on Auckland city) and maintaining the integrity of our environment.
National identity
The Department has a key role to play in national identity in relation to advising the Government on immigration policy and managing the immigration programme. This leads to improved global connections, building the population base as well as the labour force, adding to the richness of New Zealand society, and managing risks to New Zealand’s security.
Families – young and old
The Department’s work programme on enhancing parents’ and other carers’ choices about work and family arrangements, assisting transitions of youth into employment, and enhancing employment for groups under-represented in the labour force, provides a significant contribution to the Government’s policy agenda for ensuring that all families, young and old, have the support and choices they need to be secure and be able to reach their full potential within our knowledge based economy.
Government strategies
“Better Work, Working Better” is the labour market and employment strategy which sets out the ways in which we can improve both social and economic outcomes, and create the opportunity for government, business, unions and the community to work together to improve labour market and employment outcomes. “Better Work, Working Better” is led by the Department of Labour and supports the Growth and Innovation Framework and Opportunities for all New Zealanders. All three support the Government’s new policy agenda.
Development Goals for the State Services
The Department is making a significant contribution towards the Government’s Development Goals for the State Services through, for example:
- jointly leading, with the Public Service Association and the State Services Commission, an initiative on the future of work in the State Services (including an exploration of workforce issues likely to be confronting State Services in the future, and how they can be addressed)
- the promotion of good employment practices and the Work-life Balance project, aiming to ensure that workplaces are attractive and flexible – accommodating the needs of employees and making it possible for parents, carers and others to participate in the workforce – while maximising productivity, ensuring that State Services are considered to be “employers of choice”
- the
innovative use of technology, such as the online tool for drafting employment
agreements that can be used by both employers and employees, contributing
towards the provision of better services
to New Zealanders.
Figure 2 shows how the Department’s goals contribute to the Government’s key strategies and priorities for this term of office.
The Department’s outcome, long-term goals and supporting medium-term priorities are explained in more detail in the following sections.
FIGURE 2 – THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR'S ROLE IN ACHIEVING THE GOVERNMENT'S GOALS
