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Wednesday November 11, 2009 Youth unemployment
Last week the latest Household Labour Force survey was released. The survey showed another jump in unemployment for 15-19 year olds. We’re now at 25%. The last time we saw unemployment at this level for this age group was in the 1990s (it got to 24.5% in 1993) but it hasn't been this high for at least 23 years. The unemployment figures for 20-24 year olds haven't shifted much since the last quarter, but there has been a jump in the number who have withdrawn from the job market altogether.
The Government did have a go at tackling youth unemployment a few months back, but our worry then (and now) was that the package wasn’t going to make the kind of difference required. With 62,700 young people out of work, we still need a much more robust plan to tackle youth unemployment.
Back to top Youth Justice Bill: Update
Many of you will remember that the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families (Youth Courts Jurisdiction and Orders) Bill, which has widely been referred to as the boot camp bill, was sent to the Select Committee in February this year.
Originally it was due to be reported back in August, but the Minister subsequently asked that the Select Committee extend it's consideration by an additional few months. I was disappointed to then see the Minister announce that she was going to kick of a trial of Fresh Start, the Government's new youth justice programme, before the Select Committee had shared its views and the views of the public. This has been a controversial piece of legislation and it's important we get it right.
The Bill is due to go back before parliament by the end of this month. I will send out an update then on the findings of the Social Services Select Committee, and the debate that will follow on this controversial Bill in Parliament.
Back to top Alcohol Law Review: Where to next?
The Law Commission is in the middle of a substantial review of alcohol laws in New Zealand. The Commission called for submissions on its interim report, and recieved more than 2000 responses when the deadline was reached at the end of October. Never before has the Commission received so many submissions, which suggests there will be a huge amount of interest in the final report.
The Commission will now spend the next few months analysing the submissions before drafting its final recommendations and report for the Government. I'll cover the report in Youth Matters when it is finally released.
Back to top On a positive note...
Last week I had the pleasure of popping along to the Youth Enterprise Scheme Awards The event brought together the finalists from across the region who have excelled in creating their own business idea, developing a plan, and running the business over the course of a year.
My congratulations go to all the winners and in particular, All Around Aotearoa from Opotiki College who created a very Kiwi board game and took out the top award. Everyone involved in YES this year proved that entrepreneurship in New Zealand is alive and well!
Back to top One year on
This month marks the one year anniversary of the new Government, and my time in Parliament.
Within the youth sector, it feels like the year has brought an enormous amount of change. For all the headlines which have implied this Government has a focus on youth, there is an unwritten story on the sometimes small but significant ways that the people who work with them on a day to day basis have been affected by the Government's shift in priorities.
I have really enjoyed getting to know all of the amazing people who dedicate themselves to working with young people in our country. I look forward to getting to know the sector even better in the new year. I also look forward to meeting the challenge of helping the sector to build an even stronger voice.
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