24 February 2016 MEDIA STATEMENT

Education key priority for Pasifika in Future of Work

Education, re-training and entrepreneurship must be key priorities if Pacific Islanders are to be winners in the changing nature of work Labour’s latest Future of Work paper has found.

“The Pasifika and Future of Work paper released today shows Pacific people have real opportunities but also challenges in the coming years as the nature of work changes,” says Grant Robertson, Chair of Labour’s Future of Work Commission.

“With 46 per cent of jobs in New Zealand likely to disappear in the next two decades it is essential that government makes sure the transition is a positive one by planning properly and ensuring Pacific people are a full part of the new economy.

“Pacific communities have a higher rate of unemployment, poverty levels and lower incomes than the general population. It’s essential that the benefits of the Future of Work don’t pass them by.

“Pacific people are overrepresented in occupations the most at risk of becoming redundant as work changes, such as labouring and machinery operations. Many of these people have no post-school education which is why Labour’s Working Futures policy is so important to help them re-train for new jobs,” says Grant Robertson.

“Education, from early childhood to post-school education and ongoing training should be targeted to the individual to help them make the right choices in the new economy,” says Labour’s Pacific Island Affairs spokesperson Su’a William Sio.

“It’s also important to boost the level of self-employment and business ownership among Pasifika from its low level of just 1.6 per cent. It is essential that we work to understand and address the barriers to business ownership.

“Many Pasifika languish in the bottom of the socio-economic ladder. We must make the most of the coming changes to fix that. We have to think about what to do today to make a better tomorrow.

"I would like to see our community use this paper to debate and generate ideas that will help create a new vision for a prosperous and thriving Pasifika community proudly making Aotearoa New Zealand their permanent home,” says Su’a William Sio.

Pasifika_and_the_Future_of_Work_paper_Feb16.pdf

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