Speech to Youth Transition Services' Providers

Speech notes for Associate Minister Social Development and Employment Darren Hughes' address to the Youth Transition Services' Providers Workshop, Bowen State Building, Wellington

Tena Koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today.

Firstly I would like to acknowledge, Peter Hughes, Chief Executive of the Ministry of Social Development, Patricia Reade, Deputy Chief Executive for Work and Income, Mike Smith, General Manager, Strategy and Service Development for Work and Income, and of course, most importantly, the providers of Youth Transition Services, who are here for the next two days.

Youth Transition Services (YTS) assists young people to make decisions as they transition from school to further education, training, work or other activities that contribute to their long-term independence and wellbeing.

Those decisions can make a huge difference to young people’s lives. It’s good to remember that. And to remember what it is like to be faced with those choices. Many young people don’t know what they want to do and your guidance and information can help them get started on a plan for the future.

Each year about 14,000 young people (around 25 percent of school leavers) leave school without Level One NCEA qualification and without going on to any further study or training. Forty per cent leave without NCEA Level Two. While current high employment levels are offering a lot of unskilled jobs, New Zealand needs to invest in a higher skills base to sustain economic growth, improve living standards and help lift productivity.

This is one of the key reasons the Prime Minister announced earlier this year that the Government wanted all young people engaged in school or some kind of education or training until the age of 18.

You will have heard about this initiative which is called ‘Schools Plus’. We are currently seeking feedback on the policy and I would encourage you to have your say if you have not already done so.

Schools plus isn’t about forcing students to stay at school. It’s about building on the strengths of our current education system to transform secondary schooling and it’s links to other sectors, and give our young people the best possible chance to succeed.

The school of the future will be the gateway to the range of education and training opportunities which are on offer, be it young apprenticeship, tertiary courses or programmes offered by the school itself.

In the future, there will be a greater need for problem-solving, communication and team work. Strong partnerships among schools, business, tertiary education organisations, families and whanau, iwi and communities, government and non-government agencies, such as Youth Transitions Services are critical to the success of Schools Plus.

We need to do more to support the aspirations of all young people, and their parents, families and whanau. We need to see many more students staying at school, remaining engaged with education and training, and getting qualifications.

We also need to build the skill levels in our society, from numeracy and literacy right through to the high-level skills necessary for the 21^st century. This will enable employers to get staff with the skills they need, and will contribute to a genuine and sustainable boost to New Zealand’s economic growth.

This workshop creates an opportunity for all Youth Transition Services providers to come together and share best practice ideas and network.

The work that you and your staff do each day with assisting young people with making good informed choices about their future is invaluable.  You should be proud of your efforts that contribute to education and development of young New Zealanders – the leaders of tomorrow, because you are making a difference.

I want to thank you for your on-going commitment and wish you well for your workshop. Kia Ora.