Decent Work New Zealand
Towards Decent Work - Charting our progress
Objective 3: Activities, Strategies and/or Institutional Arrangements Developed to Address each Critical Success Factor
CSF 11: People have real choices about work opportunities.
Activity:
Supporting early return to work following injury
Description:
The Accredited Employer Programme enables employers to maintain injured workers at work, or return them to work early in a safe and supportive environment.
Lead Agency:
Accident Compensation Corporation
Activity:
Equal Employment Opportunities education
Description:
Business NZ provides continuing education for employers on Equal Employment Opportunities.
Lead Agency:
Business New Zealand
Activity:
Advice to employers on Work-Life Balance
Description:
Business New Zealand provides advice to employers on Work-Life Balance issues.
Lead Agency:
Business New Zealand
Activity:
Career information, advice and guidance
Description:
Career information, advice and guidance to assist people to make informed work and learning decisions in the context of the life they want to lead. Services are provided through the Career Services website, freephone advice line and offices located around New Zealand.
Lead Agency:
Career Services
Activity:
Prisoner employment strategy
Description:
This strategy creates a framework and programme of work that will help to address the significant skills deficits and obstacles prisoners face in obtaining sustainable post-release employment, which in turn will contribute to reducing re-offending.
Lead Agency:
Department of Corrections
Activity:
Ageing Workforce Programme
Description:
Work Directions is developing a new work stream focusing on the ageing population and older workers issues. This work stream has two objectives, firstly to influence thinking and enhance the quality of debate and policy development. The second objective is to focus and consolidate Work Directions, departmental and potentially cross-Government research and analysis activities on older workers.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
Review of the level of the adult, new entrants and training minimum wages
Description:
The Department of Labour provides advice on the setting of minimum wage levels that best achieves the objectives and criteria agreed by Government for the minimum wage. As a part of this process, the Department analyses submissions made by interested parties on minimum wage rates.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
Pay and Employment Equity plan of action for the next five years
Description:
The Government is proceeding to implement the action plan for pay and employment equity in the public service, public health and public education sectors. A dedicated unit has been established in Department of Labour which is developing tools and processes to enable agencies to implement the action plan and a tripartite Steering Group has been established to oversee the work of the unit.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
National Advisory Council on the Employment of Women (NACEW)
Description:
NACEW is an advisory body providing advice to the Minister of Labour. NACEW is supported by the Department of Labour through the provision of an Executive Officer and advisory support to assist the development and implementation of their work programme. Currently this is via three subgroups focusing on precarious employment and particularly public contracting, pay and employment equity issues, Maori and Pacific women in enterprise and a joint DOL/NACEW decision-making project on balancing work and caring responsibilities
Lead Agency:
NACEW, Department of Labour
Activity:
Better Work Working Better (BWWB)
Description:
BWWB sets out the Government’s aspirations for high quality employment in productive and innovative industries, regions and businesses that drives sustainable economic growth and opportunities for all New Zealanders. Goals under BWWB are high levels of participation in high-quality, well-paid and diversified employment; a diverse, adaptable and highly-skilled workforce; high-quality and productive workplaces within an effective regulatory environment and high-performing sector and regional labour markets.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
Choices for Living, Caring, and Working Plan of Action
Description:
This ten-year plan improves support for children and families by increasing the choices available for parents and carers. This will enable people to have real choices about how they balance their caring responsibilities, involvement in paid work, time for leisure and learning, and time to be involved with friends, family and the community.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
Providing information for migrants and increasing awareness amongst employers on the benefits of employing migrants
Description:
The Auckland Chamber of Commerce delivers employment assistance and job-seeking services to migrants via presentations and seminars as well as one-on-one employment finding sessions with individuals as required. The Canterbury Migrant Employment Programme, run by the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, provides a migrant employment recruitment service for skilled migrants to gain employment and opportunities to improve their job search strategy.
Lead Agency:
Chambers of Commerce, Department of Labour
Activity:
Increasing awareness of the benefits of migrant employment and increasing employment opportunities for skilled migrants throughout New Zealand and internationally
Description:
Effective management of the New Kiwis migrant recruitment service via the www.newkiwis.co.nz and www.nzrecruitme.co.nz websites. The newkiwis website focuses upon relationship building with potential and registered employers to promote the benefits of employing migrants in the workplace. While the nzrecruitme website complements the newkiwis service and matches the skills of prospective migrants to the business community.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour, Auckland Chamber of Commerce
Activity:
Establishing a point of contact for migrants and refugees to access information about services available to them
Description:
The Settlement Support New Zealand initiative has established a national network of migrant resource services to improve access to settlement information and advice for migrants and refugees, and strengthen the responsiveness of local mainstream agencies to their settlement needs. The initiative has been successfully established in 19 local areas throughout New Zealand, with local Settlement Coordinators appointed.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
Realising Youth Potential
Description:
Contributing to policy development and implementation around the goal of the Government that all young people will be participating in education, skills, or other structured learning relevant to their abilities and needs until they reach the age of 18. This includes all young people in work, transition to work, and in tertiary education and training have a coherent set of learning opportunities and the appropriate support mechanisms available to achieve sustainable skills and career outcomes. This is a joint activity with the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs.
Lead Agency:
Multi agency, Department of Labour
Activity:
WorkSite
Description:
The Department of Labour maintains WorkSite, a cross-government Internet portal with information about skills and work. The Department of Labour also publishes a quarterly e-newsletter (WorkSite Watch), attends expos, and is involved in government portal community.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
New Zealand Now
Description:
The New Zealand Now website is a Government initiative that links expat New Zealanders and migrants to all the information they need to know about living and working in New Zealand.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
Talent New Zealand businesses need
Description:
Identifying opportunities for responding to skill and talent shortages, taking account of relevant work already underway. This includes the tertiary education reforms, the business tax review and the Immigration Change Programme.
There will be a specific focus on attracting the talented people New Zealand firms need, both immigrants and expatriates.
The Talent Work Policy enables employers to gain 'Accredited Employer' status, and gives them access to a special category of Work to Residence Visa for the offshore talent they need to supplement their New Zealand work force.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
Working Holiday Scheme
Description:
This programme provides a cultural exchange, strengthens international linkages, brings in temporary labour and contributes positively to the economy.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
Early Childhood Education
Description:
The Government subsidises early childhood education (ECE) for children aged 0 to 5, and up to 20 hours a week Free ECE for 3 and 4 year olds in teacher-led services, aiming to increase participation in quality ECE services, improve quality of ECE services and promote collaborative relationships.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Education
Activity:
Te Tâhuhu Improving Mental Health 2005-2015
Description:
This Strategy aims to value diversity and support and enable people with experience of mental illness and addiction to fully participate in society and in the everyday life of their communities and whanau.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Health
Activity:
Te Kokiri The Mental Health and Addiction Action Plan 2006 - 2015
Description:
Te Kokiri focuses on implementing Te Tâhuhu Improving Mental Health. It provides the way forward from policy to implementation. Central to this work is enabling people with experience of mental illness and addiction to fully participate in society and in the everyday life of their communities and whanau.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Health
Activity:
Tauawhitia te Wero -Embracing the Challenge: National mental health and addiction workforce development plan 2006-2009
Description:
This sets out a vision for a mental health and addiction workforce development plan responsive to the needs of people who access services. It is intended to act as an umbrella plan providing national direction on workforce development through to 2009.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Health
Activity:
Let’s get real: Real skills for people working in mental health and addictions [external link]
Description:
Let’s get real is a project to produce a framework of the essential knowledge, skills and attitudes required to work in mental health and addictions services. Quality improvements underpin this initiative with influences on service delivery; education and training; professional development; and recruitment and retention practices.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Health
Activity:
National training initiative to boost the numbers of home-based disability support (HBSS) workers who have foundation level training
Description:
This initiative aims to support the implementation of training and assessment for HBSS support workers to complete the National Certificate in Community Support Services, Level One.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Health
Activity:
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Workforce Development Project
Description:
This initiative aims to implement a training and supervision programme for support workers and professionals (including families) who support children and young people with ASD in Child Youth and Family care.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Health
Activity:
Environmental Support Services (ESS) for people with disabilities
Description:
ESS are available through Disability Services Directorate-funded ESS providers for provision of equipment and funding for vehicles/vehicle modifications and driving assessments. This support is available to disabled people assessed as eligible and having an essential need to enable them to undertake fulltime employment or vocational training.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Health
Activity:
Community Day Activity Funding
Description:
Funding is available to support disabled people, especially those with high support needs, to attend vocational activities or community participation activities.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Health
Activity:
Development of training and qualifications in needs assessment and service co-ordination (NASC) for disabled people
Description:
The Ministry of Health’s Disability Services Directorate works with relevant training organisations to identify NASC-specific competencies that will develop into under-graduate and post-graduate national learning programmes.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Health
Activity:
Development of training and qualifications in community-based residential services for disabled people
Description:
The Ministry of Health’s Disability Services Directorate works with providers and relevant training organisations to identify support worker-specific competencies that will develop into under graduate and post-graduate national learning programmes.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Health
Activity:
Pacific Economic Action Plan (PEAP)
Description:
The PEAP provides an overarching response to Pacific peoples’ economic priorities with six key goals: Education, Workforce Development, Business Development, Creative, Emerging & Growth Industries, Entrepreneurial Culture and Leadership. This plan identifies milestones to assist government - develop policies and initiatives to enhance Pacific peoples’ contribution to the New Zealand economy. Each goal outlines objectives that will address gaps in current government responses and areas of need.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs
Activity:
Pacific Women’s Economic Development Plan (PWEDP)
Description:
The PWEDP is a specific economic development action plan for Pacific women. It identifies specific milestones that further contribute to four of the PEAP goals: Education, Workforce Development, Business Development and Leadership.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs
Activity:
Work Experience
Description:
Provides unpaid opportunities in a workplace or work type environment and helps clients gain up to date work experience
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Social Development
Activity:
Enterprise Allowance [external link]
Description:
Helps clients become self-sufficient by way of financial assistance to allow them to prepare for, or enter into self employment.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Social Development
Activity:
Job Search Skills training programmes for job seekers
Description:
Short-term programmes that provide information on job-search techniques, skills and resources.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Social Development
Activity:
Skills Training courses
Description:
Training courses or programmes that endeavour to provide job seekers with work-related skills.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Social Development
Activity:
Industry Partnerships
Description:
Industry Partnerships involve forming partnerships with industries and major employers that have large skill and labour shortages. Partners generally receive a jointly developed tailored recruitment service offer that is responsive to their current and future staffing needs. This initiative aims to fill the skill and labour shortages by developing tailored training programmes to meet areas of industry need. These national partnerships are complemented by local industry partnerships.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Social Development
Activity:
Taskforce Green Subsidy [external link]
Description:
Allows the client to participate in community or environmental based project work to develop work habits and general on the job skills.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Social Development
Activity:
Working for Families [external link]
Description:
Working for Families is a package designed to help make it easier to work and raise a family. It pays extra money to many thousands of New Zealand families. Working for Families is made up of three key components: tax credits administered by Inland Revenue and Accommodation Supplement and Childcare Assistance which are administered by Work and Income.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Social Development
Activity:
Regional Funding
Description:
Funding that allows MSD to be responsive to emerging job seeker needs and opportunities, primarily regionally driven and targeted.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Social Development
Activity:
Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs [external link]
Description:
This initiative provides funding through MSD for collaborative initiatives between central and local government for projects that have training, education and work outcomes targeted for youth.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Social Development
Activity:
Innovative Employment Assistance (IEA)
Description:
IEA programmes trial new strategies to help Sickness and Invalids’ Beneficiaries into work.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Social Development
Activity:
Supported employment for people with disabilities
Description:
The provision of supported employment is part of Ministry of Social Development’s ongoing services for people with ill-health or disability seeking to re-enter the workforce. This service is offered by a range of providers throughout the country.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Social Development
Activity:
Skills Investment Subsidy
Description:
Skills Investment is a subsidy that invests in disadvantaged job seekers by making a temporary contribution to their wages and training to enable them to access and maintain employment.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Social Development
Activity:
Training Incentive Allowance
Description:
Training Incentive Allowance provides non-taxable assistance to clients receiving certain types of benefits to undertake employment related training that will improve their skills and increase their chances of getting work.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Social Development
Activity:
In-work support
Description:
The In-work Support programme provides support to improve the prospects for Work and Income clients to remain in employment.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Social Development
Activity:
Training Opportunities Employment Programme
Description:
This programme provides full-time, fully funded training options to targeted Work and Income clients, enabling them to develop skills and gain credits towards nationally recognised qualifications. This assists the move into employment, further education or training.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Social Development
Activity:
Youth Transition Services [external link]
Description:
Youth Transition Services (YTS) assists young people as they transition from school to further education, training, work or other activities that contribute to their long-term independence and wellbeing. YTS works with local providers giving support to young people through further education, training or other activities.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Social Development
Activity:
Action Plan for New Zealand Women
Description:
This Action Plan for New Zealand Women is a whole of government approach to improving the position of New Zealand women. Work under the Action Plan is focussed on three themes: economic independence, work-life balance and wellbeing.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Women’s Affairs
Activity:
Nominations Service
Description:
The Nominations Service actively develops a database of potential governance nominees of women who are available for selection as possible candidates for the wide range of governance roles required by government boards and committees. The Nominations Service also supports the achievement of a greater gender balance in decision-making in statutory bodies across the public sector.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Women’s Affairs
Activity:
Research into occupational segregation
Description:
The Ministry of Women’s Affairs is undertaking several research projects on occupational segregation (the tendency for men and women to do different types of jobs, and for some jobs to be dominated by men or women). The purpose of these projects is to establish if there are links between occupational segregation, labour market responsiveness and productivity; and the extent to which gender affects young people’s decision-making about careers in gender-segregated occupations.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Women’s Affairs
Activity:
Youth Development Partnership Fund
Description:
The Youth Development Partnership Fund provides an opportunity for the Ministry of Youth Development, territorial authorities and young people to work together to provide new and innovative local youth development projects.
Territorial authorities can apply to the Ministry for funding for projects that benefit local young people through a positive youth development approach.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Youth Development
Activity:
Services for Young People Fund
Description:
The Ministry of Youth Development purchases Youth Development Services that offer young people (12-24 year olds) personal and social development and learning opportunities. These opportunities facilitate participation, inclusion and engagement, leading to achievement, awards or qualifications and long term economic and independent well being.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Youth Development
Activity:
Campaigning for and providing training on pay and employment equity
Description:
NZCTU-affiliated unions participate in and lead training around pay equity reviews and pay investigations in the core public sector, public health and education sectors. A focus on pay and employment equity in the local government sector has just commenced as part of Phase 2 of the Pay and Employment Equity Plan of Action. The NZCTU also comments on gender pay gaps, makes submissions on gender equity and reviews trends in the gender pay gap.
Lead Agency:
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Activity:
Memorandum of understanding with the Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs
Description:
The NZCTU has a memorandum of understanding with the Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs outlining the basis for co-operation to promote training and employment opportunities for young people.
Lead Agency:
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Activity:
Managing the effects of redundancies and company changes on workers
Description:
The NZCTU works with businesses and Government to help manage the effects of redundancies and company changes. It advocates for greater use of active labour market policy and is participating at a tripartite level in the development of “security in change” initiatives.
Lead Agency:
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Activity:
Health and safety education and training
Description:
The NZCTU raises awareness amongst unions and their members about workers’ rights to participate in injury prevention management. The NZCTU provides three levels of health and safety representative training, with over 20,000 representatives now trained. Additional targeted training is undertaken with companies involved in the ACC Partnership Programme.
Lead Agency:
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Activity:
Advocacy service for injured workers
Description:
The NZCTU offers a national phone-based advocacy service that provides union members with advice on ACC entitlements and injury management.
Lead Agency:
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Activity:
Advocacy and raising awareness on quality flexible work
Description:
The NZCTU conducts research, advocacy and awareness-raising on the issue of quality flexible work. Following the passing of legislation providing the right to request flexible work for those with caring responsibilities, the CTU will monitor its implementation and promote the extension of this right to all workers.
Lead Agency:
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Activity:
Representation and input on migrant worker issues
Description:
The NZCTU, union affiliates and the CTU Komiti Pasefika network also discuss ways to strengthen worker rights in Pacific nations and participate in forums on Pacific Labour Market activities. The NZCTU has also launched a specific migrant worker project to develop resources for, and promote the rights of, migrant workers.
Lead Agency:
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Activity:
Supporting decent work for disabled people
Description:
The CTU is working with the Department of Labour to ensure the successful removal of minimum wage exemptions for disabled people working in business enterprises and is coordinating with disabled persons groups on the implementation of this new regime.
Lead Agency:
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Activity:
Vocational Education and Training (VET) in schools – the Gateway Schools programme
Description:
The Gateway Schools programme [external link] provides senior students with a range of structured learning opportunities in workplaces. Through building links between schools and businesses, students achieve credits in the workplace, which contribute to recognised qualifications on the New Zealand National Qualifications Framework.
Lead Agency:
Tertiary Education Commission
Activity:
Vocational Education and Training (VET) in schools – the Youth Apprenticeships Pilot
Description:
The Youth Apprenticeships Pilot [external link] is a one year pilot operating in 10 schools nationwide in 2008. The pilot is a joint agency initiative involving the Ministry of Education, the Tertiary Education Commission and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority. The Youth Apprenticeships Pilot is working with Gateway Schools programme to develop industry related pathways through secondary schooling to enhance opportunities for school students.
Lead Agency:
Tertiary Education Commission
Activity:
Foundation learning programmes for adults
Description:
In November 2007 Cabinet agreed to initiate an “upskilling the workforce” strategy [external link]that builds on the adult literacy strategy, focussed on literacy, language and numeracy skills for New Zealand workplaces. This strategy aims to build the amount of literacy, language and numeracy provisions being undertaken, and enhance the capability of both tertiary education organisations and industry to build the skills of the workforce.
Lead Agency:
Tertiary Education Commission
Activity:
Industry Training for people in employment
Description:
Industry training [external link] facilitates structured training arrangements for employees, both on-job and off-job, linked to recognised qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework.
Lead Agency:
Tertiary Education Commission
Activity:
Modern Apprenticeships programme
Description:
The Modern Apprenticeships programme [external link] provides work-based education and training for young people and others wishing to start a new career. Modern Apprenticeships has a significant support function for participants, managed by a Modern Apprenticeships Co-ordinator.
Lead Agency:
Tertiary Education Commission
Activity:
Training for unemployed people over 18 with low qualifications
Description:
Training Opportunities [external link] offers unemployed people over 18 with low qualifications the chance to gain valuable skills that will help them to find a job.
Lead Agency:
Tertiary Education Commission
Activity:
Training for young people under 18 with low qualifications
Description:
Youth Training [external link] offers young people under 18 with low qualifications the chance to gain valuable skills that will help them to get a job.
Lead Agency:
Tertiary Education Commission
Activity:
Vocational training for young Maori and Pacific people
Description:
Skill Enhancement offers vocational training for young Maori (Rangatahi Maia [external link]) and Pacific (Tupulaga Le Lumana'i [external link]) people. The combination of programmes approved offers a variety in terms of delivery style, learning environment, occupations, industries and locations. In 2006, more than 82% of trainees moved onto further education or employment within two months of exiting the programme. Whereas Nga Kaiarataki Pathfinders aims to help school leavers who are disadvantaged by rural isolation or by issues associated with low socioeconomic background to continue their education.
Lead Agency:
Tertiary Education Commission