Economist To Offer Support For Hurunui Youth

Wednesday, 14 May 2025, 7:37 pm
Article: David Hill - Local Democracy Reporter

Hurunui’s mayor is hoping to get some Budget insights while celebrating the success of a youth employment scheme.

The Hurunui Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ) programme will host Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen during Budget week in a bid to inspire employers to take a punt on young people.

‘‘Brad has a belief that if we can nurture the minds of young people we can set them on a pathway to success,’’ Hurunui Mayor Marie Black said.

The MTFJ programme is funded by the Ministry of Social Development.

Youth (16 to 24-year-olds) have borne the brunt of the economic downturn, with youth unemployment hitting 23 percent nationally in December, compared to an overall unemployment rate of 5.1%, according to Stats NZ.

Mr Olsen will spend two days in the Hurunui district meeting with employers and staff at Enterprise North Canterbury, the economic development arm of the Waimakariri and Hurunui district councils.

He will speak at a public meeting hosted by the Hurunui MTFJ at the Omihi Hall, 21km north of Amberley, on Tuesday, May 27, from 7pm.

‘‘It is during Budget week, so Brad will be delivering some of his key messages,’’ Mrs Black said.

Mr Olsen was previously hosted by the MTFJ programme in March 2023.

Mrs Black said the MTFJ programme helped to break down barriers for young people entering the workforce.

The Hurunui MTFJ programme has placed 53 young people into sustainable employment, more than double its target to June 30.

The Government committed to extending programme to June 2026, by announcing $9 million funding in August last year.

But Mrs Black said it remained uncertain how much funding would be available for the Hurunui MTFJ programme beyond next month.

She said there is growing pressure on the funding as more councils wanted to join the scheme.

‘‘It is a one-year contract, so it makes it really difficult from an employment perspective.

‘‘If you go back to the grassroots of why and when it was developed in 2000, it was because rural mayors saw there was a need for something to support young people in a rural context.

‘‘It was developed for rural communities which don’t have the same access to services which are available in larger urban centres.’’

For communities in the Hurunui district, like Amberley, Culverden and Hanmer Springs, the nearest Ministry of Social Development office is in Rangiora and young people often did not have the ability to drive to appointments.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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