- Hon Louise Upston
The Ministry for Social Development is successfully partnering with local businesses to get Northland job seekers into work.
Whangarei employers have joined Minister of Social Development and Employment Louise Upston at an Into Work event, sharing their experiences of successfully filling multiple vacancies in their businesses.
One successful example is Fulton Hogan who have been working with MSD, investing local communities by training and eploying 44 MSD clients. These cadets undergo a structured learning programme aimed at acquiring essential skills and knowledge in a particular job role or industry.
"Fulton Hogan are among those providing opportunities for job seekers, placing more people in Northland than anywhere else in the country." Louise Upston says.
"MSD is making sure it really understands a business so it can link employers with local job seekers who are the right fit for local jobs.
"We know that 76 per cent of people receiving Jobseeker Support in Northland (who have been on benefit for less than a year) already have previous work experience and with MSD's team guiding the process, they're being linked with employers and real jobs."
Whangarei's Into Work event is the fifth Louise Upston has attended across New Zealand, bringing MSD employment teams together with local employers with more locations to come.
"These are opportunities for local employers and organisations to discuss how we can all work together to understand workforce needs and address workforce challenges." Louise Upston says.
