Government will have $11.6 million for skills information

5.30pm

Next week's budget will include $11.6 million to improve the information available on skills needed in the economy, Employment Minister Steve Maharey said today.

With unemployment at a 13-year low, skill and labour shortages had been emerging in some regions and sectors of the economy, he said.

Poor information about where those shortages were likely to emerge meant it was difficult for the Government, employers, workers and school-leavers to get sufficient training in time to plug the gaps.

Mr Maharey said the funding would be spread over four years and would support:

* an integrated website which would be a "shopping mall" for job-seekers and employers;

* a six-monthly skills report summarising existing information on the supply and demand for skills;

* integrating data so that job retention and skill development could be better understood;

* a new survey on job vacancies to improve knowledge of the demand for skills; and

* a survey on the employment and earnings outcomes for tertiary graduates.

Mr Maharey said the scheme was designed to forecast future workforce needs and to make that information freely available.

"We hope that these new tools will speed up the matching of people's skills to the job opportunities that are currently available, and reduce skill shortages in the future by helping people make better decisions about education and training."

- NZPA