School-leaver job schemes boosted

Press, 18 May 1984, Page 1

School-leaver job schemes boosted

PA Wellington All school-leavers who need help moving into working life could now be assisted by the Government, said the Minister of Labour, Mr Bolger, yesterday. Announcing increased funding for schemes to help school-leavers find jobs, Mr Bolger criticised the education system for failing to better equip young people

Funding for the School Leavers’ Training and Employment Preparation Scheme (S.T.E.P.S.) will more than treble to 516.55 million this year; more staff and resources are to be allocated to school-to-work transition courses in secondary schools; and funding for training under the Young Persons Training Programme will be increased. Asked if the need to enlarge the schemes was an indictment of the education system, Mr Bolger replied: “There is certainly a defect in so far that there are youngsters coming out who do not have the background and the training and the knowledge and the attributes to move into employment.

“That is a statement of fact. It is recognised by the Minister of Education, and I am sure by his officials.” Curriculum changes with a “back to basics” approach would certainly help, Mr Bolger said.

He described the assistance announced yesterday as “a co-ordinated expansion of the existing measures which will enable the Government to help all the school-leavers who need assistance in the transition from school to working life.”

In spite of the fact that most young people leaving school found a job or moved into full-time tertiary training very quickly, there was a sizeable group who needed more help, he said. “These measures are aimed at that group.” The Labour Party welcomed the increased assistance but called on Mr Bolger to recognise that the main cause of school-leaver unemployment was a shortage of jobs, not a shortage of skills. Labour’s employment spokesman, Mr Peter Neilson, said that some excellent work was being done for unemployed teenagers on S.T.E.P.S. and other job

creation programmes, but the job placement rates were still extremely low. Mr Bolger said the main aim of the additional funding for S.T.E.P.S. was to ensure that young people in all areas, not just large towns and cities, were helped. Since the scheme began last year, the 4000 people assisted had been confined largely to the cities and towns where the Labour Department district offices were situated. The annual intake for S.T.E.P.S. will now be 7500.

“The intention is to widen the geographical coverage

and to provide greater scope for monitoring the quality of training and for offering counselling and advice to those who are less motivated,” Mr Bolger said.

A vital factor in the effective running of the schemes was employer participation, with as many new openings as possible being created, he said. However, he was confident that employers would be willing to participate. Many had been reluctant when the scheme was first launched, but that had been because of initial negative publicity and criticism.

S.T.E.P.S. was created for those aged 15 and 16 who have left school and need further support. It offers training in a wide range of skills by providing short courses designed to meet individual needs. The increased aid will increase the S.T.E.P.S. budget by ?U million and provide an extra 49 Labour Department staff to administer the scheme.

The Young Persons Training Scheme is designed generally for unemployed young people aged 17 or older. It offers short training courses with an employer or in a technical institute.

The intake for the 1984-85 year would be about the same as last year, but then those aged 15 and 16 were included, Mr Bolger said. The cost of administering the scheme in the coming year will be $8.5 million.

The Transition Courses in Schools are aimed at pupils likely to face unemployment when they leave school. The courses include job-seeking skills and communication and social skills needed for work.

Last year the number of teachers, or full-time teacher equivalents, allocated to the scheme was increased from 50 to 90. In the coming year an extra 10 will be provided and the administration costs for the scheme increased. S.T.E.P.S. will become more flexible, with various modifications to improve its function, Mr Bolger said. It was possible that people older than 15 and 16 could participate if it clearly provided the most appropriate help for them, he said.

Young people may now, under special circumstances. also be able to enter S.T.E.P.S. direct from school, without undergoing the normal eight-week job search.