Minister Congratulates Outstanding Work Finding Group

A Tauranga community broker organisation (CBO) has done exceptionally well in finding community work and training placements for unemployed job seekers, exceeded its target by more than 30 per cent, and done so well before its target date.

The Tauranga Employment Trust, which will be one of many organisations finding work or training positions under the Community Wage, was contracted to find 130 positions by October, but had found 182 by July. It is still finding more.

Associate Social Services, Work and Income Minister Peter McCardle says the Trust has done brilliantly, and been awarded a further contract. He says it is showing the way for other Trusts.

Mr McCardle is today attending a hui of 16 CBOs operating in the Central region, including the Tauranga Trust, and gives the lie to critics of the CBOs.

A spokesperson for theTrust, Sue Furey, says the key to success is matching people correctly, and making sure the relationship between job seeker and the sponsor is win/win. The organisations which have taken on the job seekers (sponsors) include Bay of Plenty Polytech, the Tauranga District Council and Tauranga Community Village. Ms Furey says at the hui the CBOs will share achievements, and look at challenges they face.

The work that has been found by the Tauranga Trust includes research, track building, administrative work, resources preparation, and sea foreshore data collection (by surfers).

The CBOs will be one way of finding work or training opportunities for the long-term unemployed when the Community Wage comes in on October 1. The other way is through staff of the Department of Work and Income, who will seek placements as part of the wide range of assistance they will give to the unemployed.

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