- Hon Louise Upston
Helping New Zealand job seekers get their driver licence is one of the best ways to help them get a job and Government-funded driver training is well and truly exceeding its licence targets, Minister of Social Development and Employment Louise Upston says.
"Around 70 per cent of jobs require a person to have a driver licence, reinforcing the importance of the Government's investment in driver licence training," Louise Upston says.
"In the last year, MSD's Driver Licence Support programme has secured 21,063 enrolments, ahead of the 19,000 placement target.
"We know getting a driver's licence can change a life, as it has in the case of a young Auckland woman on Jobseeker Support. The case manager suggested she consider applying for a job in traffic management, but that relied on her having a driver licence.
"The woman started driving lessons with the support of the programme and soon after was able to sit and pass her restricted licence, then starting a job as a traffic controller with Fulton Hogan.
"The driver licence was the key to her getting the job and starting an independent life. In other examples, people have been able to get jobs with shift work because of having a driver licence or take a rurally-based job on a farm because they can now drive there.
"We know that a challenging employment environment has made things difficult for job seekers.
"We hear many successful stories of how a driver licence has been a turning point in contributing to a change in circumstances - getting a job, being able to care for and support family, and driving legally.
"Programmes like Driver Licence Support ultimately make for safer and stronger families and communities," Louise Upston says.
Notes for Editors
- The Driver Licence Support programme began in 2023 and over 34,000 licences have been issued in that time.
- Youth aged between 18 and 24 make up nearly 40 per cent of the participants.
- The overall pass rate of the programme is 82 percent.
