Support Young People Before They Go On A Benefit, Mayors Say

Tuesday, 10 June 2025, 8:00 pm
Article: David Hill - Local Democracy Reporter

Two Canterbury mayors say the government shouldn't tamper with their youth job programme.

The government is targeting getting young people off Jobseeker Support, which has led to the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) changing its funding criteria for the Mayors' Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ) programme, a youth employment scheme.

But Kaikōura Mayor Craig Mackle said the programme helps support school leavers into employment so they don't end up on a benefit in the first place.

''Here's a solution, if you're worried about young people going on a benefit, put more resourcing into MTFJ,'' Mackle said.

The jobs programme helps young people aged 16-25 into work through driver licensing, career advice and guidance, interview skills, preparing CVs, work experience and transport.

The Kaikōura MTFJ programme's funding is set to be slashed from $260,000 to $100,000 for the next 12 months from July 1.

Hurunui Mayor Marie Black said the Hurunui MTFJ programme is also facing a funding cut, but didn't want to give a figure.

Black said young people needed fulfilment, so getting them into employment was essential.

The mayors were responding to a comment from Social Development Minister Louise Upston in a statement following last month's Budget.

''Recent forecasts show that people under the age of 25 on Jobseeker Support will spend an average of 18 or more years on a benefit over their lifetimes,'' Upston said.

Young people are eligible for Jobseeker Support from age 18.

The government plans to introduce parental means testing for 18- and 19-year-olds in a bid to push more unemployed young people into work.

MSD group general manager insights Fleur McLaren said modelling in 2023 suggested Jobseeker clients under age 25 were likely to spend an average 18.2 future years on a benefit, compared to an estimated 12.2 future years in 2017.

She said it was due to several factors, including a challenging economic outlook, complex issues such as mental health, and the difficulty getting off the benefit.

MSD is basing its MTFJ funding for the next 12 months, from 1 July, on the number of 18- to 24-year-olds on Jobseeker Support.

Hurunui District Council chief executive Hamish Dobbie said it will take time for the economy to fully recover.

''With every recession, it takes a while to recover, but there's always a couple green shoots coming through and we can see that in the primary sector.''

Te Hā o Mātauranga (Learning in Kaikōura) holds the MTFJ contract for the Kaikōura District Council.

''One of my concerns is that our government seems to be leaving it to families to stop their young people entering the benefit system, rather than helping young people to gain employability skills and find work,'' Te Hā operations lead Vicki Gulleford said.

She said young people started leaving school from the age of 16 but there are few options.

There is no tertiary education in Kaikōura and polytechs do not offer student accommodation to under-18s.

Gulleford said there needed to be support from families, employers and the wider community to help Kaikōura youth find a pathway.

''We have heard from different youth over the years that they will go away, that Kaikōura doesn't hold a future employment pathway for them.

''But their hearts will always hold Kaikōura as home, and hopefully we see them find a way back here in the future.''

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

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