Hopes for 500 work experience positions

Press, 13 September 1988, Page 7

Hopes for 500 work experience positions

Five-hundred work experience positions will be created each year in Christchurch if a Christchurch City Council proposal gets Government backing. The council’s policy and finance committee yesterday endorsed a pilot programme suggested by Cr Vicki Buck that would provide 500 10-week positions each year. Cr Buck’s proposal is for a modified Job Opportunity Scheme programme run in conjunction with the Government.

The committee yesterday approved a budget of $140,000 from rates. Under the scheme people are eligible for $lOO-a--week for 26 weeks after the 10-week placement. The council under that scheme would receive $lOO in overheads for each placement. Cr Buck’s original proposal was for 1000 positions to be found in the private sector and within the council each year. The committee yesterday trimmed that to 500. The committee also trimmed the planned ad-

vertising allowance within the scheme from $150,000 to $40,000. Cr John Burn, the committee’s chairman, warned of the financial load of the council and ratepayers already this year.

Cr Buck argued that 1000 placements would make an impact on unemployment in the city.

The council had to take the chance offered by the

Government’s allocation of $3 million for new employment initiatives, she said. The council’s community adviser, Mr Alistair Graham, reported to the committee that 15 employers approached at random showed interest in the scheme. Five had said they would definitely participate. If most placements were in the private sector, three extra staff would be needed to run the scheme, he said. If most of the positions were within the council, two staff could manage. The committee rejected the inclusion in the proposal of 20 subsidised positions provided by the council each year. Councillors were not keen to add to council staff with reform pending. Councillors felt the scheme had merit as a short-term solution to growing unemployment in Christchurch.

If the scheme gets full council approval it will be forwarded for approval to the Minister of Employment.