Cadets a step towards improved public service

PSA Press Release
November 26, 2003

Public sector cadets another step towards improved public service

The PSA welcomed the announcement today by the Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment of a new public service cadetship programme for school leavers, and viewed it as another positive step towards improving New Zealand’s public services, PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff said today.

“It is imperative that we increase the pool of young talent in the public service. One hundred new cadets to be taken on by the Ministry of Social Development’s Work and Income Service is a significant step towards that and will provide these young women and men with a solid career path at the same time as rebuilding the capacity of the public sector.”

“Cadetships were available in the public service until their disestablishment during the state sector reforms of the 1980s. They, together with other initiatives such as the Modern Apprenticeship Scheme, are an important vehicle for helping young people make the transition from school to work.”

Richard Wagstaff said career development had been identified as one element of a total funding, recruitment and retention, and career and workforce development package which would need to be implemented to rebuild and strengthen our public service.

“We need to get back to a sense of one public service rather than a lot of disparate organisations, and ensure the public service again becomes an employer of choice. Positive moves such as the public service cadetship programme will assist with that.”

Richard Wagstaff said the PSA would like to see the programme extended across the state sector.

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