"Teenagers from the Tairawhiti region have been given the opportunity to develop basic skills and investigate a career in the armed forces," Deputy Prime Minister, Jim Anderton announced today.

The announcement is part of the report of the groundbreaking Tairawhiti Development Taskforce which will be released this Friday 24 November.

"As part of the Taskforce we considered the entire region and a vast range of long term options, and this issue was one raised by local people that we were able to follow up immediately. Other issues have been identified with approaches that will require more work.

"We asked the army to come to the region to recruit for their Limited Service volunteer Scheme as there was clearly a need to build confidence and also to provide more options for young people in the area," said Jim Anderton.

The Army used a recruiting bus and also had school visits incorporating the Maori Cultural group with soldiers with Ngati Porou and Ngati Tumateunga affiliations. The tour from 8-14 October included a two day display at the Poverty Bay A&P show.

"The Army had a very successful tour and I am pleased to announce that the next army volunteer scheme intake will have 14 teenagers and more will follow in later schemes. As well as this, seven Tairawhiti young people have applied to join the army, " said Jim Anderton.

The Tairawhiti Development Taskforce has been meeting since May 2000. The Mayors of Wairoa and Gisborne invited Jim Anderton, Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Parekura Horomia and Janet Mackey MP to help improve prospects for jobs and businesses in the Tairawhiti region.

The Taskforce has been made up of local people, runanga, agencies and government, to bring a “whole of government” approach to the development and initiation of a sustainable development programme on the East Coast.

The next announcement of the taskforce will be at the 9.30 am Opening of the Community Hub in Wairoa, corner of Queen and Paul Streets.
There will be two public meetings and the full announcements at: 10.30 am at the Wairoa Community Centre, Marine Parade; and 02.30 pm at the Army Hall corner of Fitzherbert & Stout Streets, Gisborne.

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