Longer term P.E.P. mooted

Press, 27 May 1981, Page 7

Longer term P.E.P. mooted

The Minister of Labour (Mr Bolger), has told a meeting of Auckland mayors that he is prepared to examine longer-term schemes under the project employment programme.

Mr Bolger said after the meeting that there had been some misunderstandings about the length of time the projects could run. “It is now possible to have them run for up to 12 months, but the most last six months,’’ he said.

Mr Bolger made that reply after some mayors raised the question of longer-term schemes of up to two or three years duration. They told him that they had difficulties using P.E.P. labour, because the Department of Labour could only consider specific applications rather than being able to approve total schemes. Mr Bolger was invited to the meeting to answer a series of questions. Afterwards he said it. had 'been worth while in clearing up

some areas where misunderstandings on Labour Department employment strategy existed. The mayors also raised the question of the department making available material grants associated with P.E.P. schemes.

However, Mr Bolger said that he was unable to give an assurance of additional funds for materials. “There are a variety of schemes in place at the moment that I feel meet legitimate needs. The object of our support is to create the maximum number of jobs available for the investment we make,” he said. “It is not to be seen as a continuing source of Government funding for local authorities.”

Mr Bolger said that most local authorities were making worth while efforts under the scheme, although some were making only limited efforts.

He also disputed a claim that as many as 70 per cent

of young unemployed people were not registered as unemployed. The claim was made by the director of a pre-employ-ment course on the North Shore, Mr Neville Creighton,

to a meeting of Labour members of Parliament. Mr Bolger dismissed it as “just another extravagant claim." He said that most unemployed people were registered with the Labour Department.