MPs outline youth employment plans | Bay of Plenty News | Local News in Bay of Plenty

More of the right training opportunities and incentives for Western Bay businesses to employ young people are what Tauranga's political candidates are promising to deliver should they win on polling day.

The MP for Tauranga, National's Simon Bridges, said the Government's Job Ops scheme, which gave employers a $5000 subsidy to take on a youth for six months, had been very successful.

"Nationally it's had a success rate of about 90 per cent where employers have kept the youth on after their six months."

Mr Bridges and Bay of Plenty MP Tony Ryall were "absolutely committed" to seeing a trades training academy built in Tauranga in the next two to three years and were working closely with Bay high schools and Bay of Plenty Polytechnic.

"That will get young people who aren't necessarily academically inclined into a trade and ready to work," he said.

Mr Bridges said Treasury estimated 150,000 new jobs would be generated in New Zealand between 2012 and 2016.

"That's why it's so important to get people trained so they're ready as the jobs come, and they will."

Labour candidate for Tauranga Deborah Mahuta-Coyle said the largest percentage of unemployed people in the Western Bay were in the 18- to 24-year-old bracket.

She said Labour would roll out a youth employment package which would see all of these people put into apprenticeships and their unemployment benefit paid to their employer.

"Which is more meaningful because they get on the job experience and a skill to trade."

Labour also planned to increase the number of training spaces available in polytechnics and training institutions.

"Hopefully we can drive the 24,000 youth [nationwide] off the unemployment benefit - either earning or learning," she said.

New Zealand First candidate for Tauranga Brendan Horan said if elected he would push projects in Tauranga that would generate jobs for young people and provide long-term employment as the Western Bay became a tourism and adventure hub.

"My vision for Tauranga is that we have a passenger rail service from Auckland, Hamilton, through the Bay of Plenty, a 25,000-seat stadium on or close to The Domain, a walkway around the harbour and clean waterways. Any one of those projects would provide employment for our youth in a number of ways."

Instead of working short contracts over summer he said skilled lifeguards could go into schools teaching surf and environmental awareness as well as being council litter officers.

"My vision is all about young people in New Zealand developing civic pride," he said.

He said young people were the "ideal people" to be involved in search and rescue, working with police and the fire service.

"We've got every natural resource now we have to get this happening. Tauranga could be so much better than it is."

Maori Party MP for Tauranga Awanui Black said his party encouraged marae and Maori organisations to support young Maori into employment.

"One of the real difficulties for Maori at least, in the Western Bay, is getting their first leg on the rail," he said.

He wanted to encourage Maori organisations to give youth the opportunity to gain experience though a voluntary programme.

"More importantly is to look into ways in which the organisation is able to provide employment for one to two people."

Mr Black said he would also like to see business administration hubs set up on marae to manage trusts and ensure Maori land was efficiently utilised, creating employment.

Green MP for Tauranga Ian Mclean said the Greens would like to invest in renewable energy which they estimate will create 100,000 jobs across the country.

He said this generation of jobs had been seen through the Warm Up New Zealand insulation scheme and would be seen again if all Western Bay homes were fitted with solar heating panels.

"You create jobs through the industry that needs to build that equipment, installation and of course there are spin-off benefits in reducing our dependence on carbon-based fuels for heating."

Act candidate for Tauranga Kath McCabe said creating "green jobs" in renewable energy overseas had cost up to 5.7 jobs for every one it created.

Mrs McCabe said training young people was key.

"Unless you have the right training in place you are never going to match up the pool of people to these jobs. It is really important that we focus our efforts on training for staff that is actually required in the economy."

Priority One chief executive Andrew Coker wanted to see an MP that supported building strong links between Western Bay businesses and education providers so training was specifically targeted to "real job opportunities".

Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Max Mason said quality jobs needed to provide realistic prospects for good careers, that earned good salaries and encouraged life-long learning.

"We are failing our youth if the best we can offer them is minimum wages and minimal learning opportunities," he said.