2010 - The Year For Dispiriting Messages To New Zealand's Future Employees?

Monday, 1 March, 2010 - 11:27


Workchoice Trust, the not-for-profit organisation responsible for introducing around 6000 Year 12 students annually to New Zealand businesses nationwide believes that 2010 may be remembered as the year that New Zealand industry sent a dispiriting message to these future employees - those young people on the cusp of making life and career decisions.

CEO for Workchoice Trust, Kathy McCombe says, "For the first time in 16 years we are surprised at the number of companies who are saying 'we're not employing so why should we get involved in Workchoice Day 2010'. McCombe says Workchoice occupies a unique link between industry and schools. "Each year we introduce around 350 of the nation's employers to 6000 of their future employees - it's the one day a year that inquisitive youth can get up close and question those working in specific companies and industries about what they do and the skills they have."

"However, in our opinion 2010 may be remembered for the way that many New Zealand companies sent out a dispiriting message to these future employees - a group of individuals who are already often reminded that they are part of a highly unemployable group with much of the news concerning them in 2010 being around rates of unemployment, expensive youth rates and the aging workforce."

McCombe says that in the past companies as diverse as IBM, Fonterra and smaller firms such as Frog Recruitment and Barnes, Catmur & Friends have invested around $30 per student to host and allow these inquisitive minds to meet and question the people working within these organisations, learn about their industries and the real- life world of working.

"Without doubt our challenge for 2010 is that we have thousands of enthusiastic students up and down the country who've targeted the industries they want to learn about but there's a disinterest by some companies to host these young minds. We are actually down 45% on two years ago." McCombe believes this is quite dispiriting for enthusiastic young minds and the nation's future workforce many of whom are currently looking to be locked out of this workforce due to short-term economic thinking and with no thought of investing in the country's future minds.

 "It's only 89 days out from the Workchoice Day on May 18th and we have only 160 companies signed up where usually we would be well on the way to the 350 mark by now. This means that many highly motivated young people will just not get a chance to participate in Workchoice Day." McCombe says that for participating companies such as IBM and Airways NZ, Workchoice's activities are an investment for them as they see it as an important opportunity to create interest in their business while correcting any misconceptions about the work they do.

About Work Choice Day 2010: The Workchoice Trust is a not-for-profit organisation established in 1994 by Roger Lampen. It exists to facilitate a vital link between New Zealand industry and New Zealand's schools and especially Year 12 students who are on the cusp of making life, work and education decisions. It is not about work experience but rather a chance for New Zealand industry to meet students and their subject teachers and inform them on skills needed for their specific industries. Workchoice exists to promote informed choice and to enable New Zealand educators and their students and the commercial world to meet and share knowledge.

The 2010 Workchoice Day is year on Tuesday May 18th