Support needed for job-referral scheme

Press, 26 January 1979, Page 3

Support needed for job-referral scheme

Job-referral centres, based on the “bob a job” scout scheme, have been established in the centre of Christchurch, Aranui, Kaiapoi, and Rangiora.

The new scheme is for the benefit of young unemployed persons, and inflation has ensured that the price of a job is well above the old shilling.

The response in the first week has been good from job-seekers, but very slow from prospective employers. Only seven members of the public have offered work through the city booth in Cathedral Square, which is run by two students, Nicola Holmes and Karren Beanlander,

The girls, who are paid through the student employment scheme, put the poor response down to lack of publicity.

They said that they needed

more offers of work such as gardening, housework, painting, or other unskilled work suitable for young people. “The idea is to get the community to realise that there are young people who haven’t got jobs,” said Ms Holmes.

The two girls have a register of about 20 unemployed persons and when a member of the public telephones they arrange a suitable match from the register. The wage is negotiable between the employer and the unemployed person, but if there is any doubt the girls will assist. The rate is generally set below the average award rate. “But we don’t cater for jobs that need tradesmen,” Ms Holmes said.

The jobs are temporary and part-time, and so far none have lasted for more than a day. One unemployed youth rode a bicycle from Bromley

to Halswell for a day’s work, the girls said. Any tools required must be supplied by the employer. A worker could be on the job within hours of the initial call, the girl said, but they prefer more notice than that. A scheme also began at Kaiapoi this week, but no definite offers of work have been made so far. About 20 young people have registered for temporary work at Rangiora, and 10 offers of employment have been made. More offers are needed. A similar referral centre will open at Bishopdale on Monday, while at Aranui the Labour Department has an employment officer at the family centre every Thursday to handle inquiries from job-seekers.

The schemes have been launched by social workers in conjunction with the Labour Department.