Jobs for youth an issue for nation

It is tough going on the job front for our young people at the moment and it is becoming an election issue of note.

Training opportunities and incentives for employers were among the ideas raised by Tauranga electorate candidates when approached by the Bay of Plenty Times for their ideas.

With the New Zealand economy still working its way out of the hole created by the global financial crisis, the workforce has been under pressure as companies cut back on staff to cope with tougher trading conditions. One of the major victims of a tighter job market is our young people.

Why employ a young, inexperienced person when there are older, mature, experienced options available?

Employers looking for workers can be inundated with experienced job applicants leaving younger workers out in the cold.

National's Simon Bridges has backed the Government's Job Ops scheme, which gives employers a $5000 subsidy to take on a youth for six months. They claim a 90 per cent success rate in workers being retained.

Mr Bridges and Bay of Plenty MP Tony Ryall are also backing a trades training academy for Tauranga, which would be a coup for the area should it come to fruition.

Labour's Deborah Mahuta-Coyle is talking up a youth employment package which would see 18- to 24-year-olds put into apprenticeships and their unemployment benefit paid to their employer. They also want to increase the number of training places.

New Zealand First candidate for Tauranga Brendan Horan has taken the big project approach believing large projects will generate jobs for young people.

That may strike trouble if employers take the experienced worker option.

The Maori Party's Awanui Black is looking for more Maori and marae support for young people, the Greens' Ian Mclean sees jobs in renewable energy while Act's Kath McCabe backs more training.

While the ideas coming from across the political spectrum do offer some hope, many will never see the light of day and others may fall into the discarded election promises bin.

But our young people, who are the future of the country, must not be ignored.

Youth unemployment is a serious and insidious issue that does nothing to build confidence in workers.

Post-election, youth employment must continue to be at the forefront of the thinking of our elected leaders.

It is too big an issue to let fall away for another three years.