'Good response’ to advertisement

Press, 2 June 1982, Page 6

'Good response’ to advertisement

The Labour Department has had a good response to its advertisment on Monday for two field officers under a scheme which is being set up as a sequel to last year’s Report of the Committee on Gangs. The committee found that gangs and other groups were being prevented from making use of the numerous job schemes by the amount of red tape and jargon. The scheme, known as the group employment- liaison scheme, is headed by Mr A. T. Johns, who was in Christchurch yesterday. . He said that the applicants for the two Christchurch positions would be screened soon, then a short list would be drawn up and those on the list interviewed. He. hoped that the two Christchurch field officers could -be at work by early July. Mr Johns said that the field officers, who will work from community centre-type offices rather than from departmental offices, would need to be able to 1 get on with young unemployed , people as well as officers of various departments. One of the main jobs of the • field officers will be to help gangs and other grbups understand and, if they wish,

to take advantage of, the more than. 30 job schemes administered by various Government departments. Other field officers will be appointed in Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, ißotorua, Whangarei, and Wellington, Mr Johns said that the field officers would work with the Labour Department and other departments, but would be autonomous, reporting back to Mr Johns, who is senior executive officer in Wellington, and Ms Margo Field, the scheme’s executive officer, also in Wellington.