Auckland (The NZ Today)
The Green Party has unveiled a major youth employment policy promising a pathway into paid work, education or training for every New Zealander aged 16 to 24 who has been out of work for six months.
At the centre of the plan is a new Jobs for Young People programme, which the Greens say would create locally based jobs through councils, iwi, community organisations, businesses and the public sector.
The party says the scheme would be modelled partly on the Jobs for Nature programme used during the Covid-era downturn, but would be aimed specifically at young people struggling to get a foothold in the labour market.
A major part of the rollout would go through the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs, with funding expanded across all 67 councils. The Greens say the target would be to help around 32,000 young people into work.
The jobs would have to be additional positions, meaning they could not simply replace existing workers.
The party says communities themselves would help identify where extra workers are needed, including environmental restoration, local infrastructure, public services and community projects.
Green co-leader Marama Davidson said the policy was designed around the idea that young people should not be left repeatedly applying for jobs while useful work in their communities remains undone.
Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has described rising youth unemployment as a serious long-term risk and argued government should directly help connect young people with work rather than relying only on sanctions or job-search obligations.
The policy is expected to cost about $4.9 billion over four years, making it one of the Greens’ more substantial employment commitments of the campaign.
The party says the wider goal is not just short-term employment, but to give young people work experience, skills and a pathway towards longer-term careers.
Source: Green Party Jobs for Young People policy
