19 August 2001 Media Statement

Deputy Prime Minister Jim Anderton today announced the regions where the new Snap student employment initiative will be run.

"Snap will be piloted in five regions, and there will be a pilot targeted to Maori as well as two industry-specific projects in other areas and two additional regional matched projects facilitated by Economic Development Agencies," said Jim Anderton.

"These pilots are to be run in Auckland, Hamilton, Gisborne and Invercargill by Student Job Search.

"In Canterbury, He Oranga Pounamu, a social development agency working on behalf of all South Island Maori, will work to place Maori students in business positions over the summer break.

“There are two initiatives matching students and employers in South Auckland and Waitakere, which will use specialists to help employers define their high skilled jobs and find the right students for these.

"The South Auckland pilot, in particular, will work with Pacific Island networks and business agencies to take advantage of the potential for the pilots to assist Pacific Island businesses and students,” Jim Anderton said.

The matched project pilots will provide students with the opportunity to undertake a project in a business setting, while enabling a small and medium enterprise to obtain skills that it may have been unable to source.

The one-year trial starts with a national information drive to help employers think of smart ways they can use a tertiary student to help their business grow.

The regional pilots will test the extent to which co-ordinated information and brokering services can increase current student job placements.

Jim Anderton was also pleased to have the support of two industries for pilots to test strategies to make the industries better known and more attractive to future graduates.

Manufacturing and tourism are the two industries involved as it is realised that the increased employment of quality graduates is critical to helping increase their competitiveness.

The manufacturing pilot will be based in the lower and central North Island from and the tourism pilot will be based in the Northland region.

Ends

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