By 2005, no young person under 25 years will be out of work or training in Taranaki

1. Taranaki Connections — a youth employment initiative By 2005, no young person under 25 years will be out of work or training in Taranaki

2. A Local Goal By 2005, no young person under 25 years will be out of work or training in Taranaki Mayors Taskforce for Jobs Core-group Member Peter Tennent Mayor of New Plymouth

3. Goal A Local Connection • A holistic framework for supporting the transition of our young people to employment or training • A way of staying “connected” to our young people until they have developed a positive pathway to their future

4. Strategic Influences National influences and links: • Mayors Taskforce for Jobs • Youth Affairs – Youth Development Strategy Research in “best practice”: • Connections (UK) • Australian PM 2001 Taskforce on Youth Pathways • Community Partnerships for Youth (Australia) vivian Hutchinson Community Adviser to the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs Editor of The Jobs Letter

5. Strategic Question If local authorities had statutory authority for ensuring positive outcomes all young people under 25 … how would they organise it? • Sweden … local authorities obliged to take responsibility for young people up to age 18. – They draw up a personal plan which is reviewed every 10 weeks. – Emphasis on no-one “falling through the cracks” • Denmark … “carrot and stick” if refuse to work with local authority, their income support is effected

6. Australian Youth Pathways Taskforce 2001 2001 Youth Taskforce

8. Australian Youth Pathways Taskforce 2001 All Young People Need THE OPPORTUNITY TO • Complete 12 years of schooling or its vocational equivalent, including strong literacy and numeracy foundations; • Undertake vocational education and training and structured workplace learning; • Obtain life skills and employment which enable them to be active and valued members of the community; • Engage with professional career and transition support; • Benefit from effective peer and family support; • Learn and participate in environments that are inclusive of and responsive to their cultural and linguistic diversity.

9. Australian Youth Pathways Taskforce 2001 All Young People Need THIS WILL REQUIRE • Cultural and paradigm shifts in many of our community institutions and systems; • Central and local governments to work together; • Integrated supported networks which create opportunities and respond to the diversity of challenges faced by young people; • Focused and collaborative partnerships at the local level involving schools, industry, business, government and non-government agencies, communities, young people and their families; • The development of learning pathways plans for each young person, transition follow-up mechanisms and transition indicators; • The development of a comprehensive career and transition support system and the development of employability and life skills learning programmes; • Appropriate income support, health care and housing foundations.

10. UK Connexions

11. UK Connexions Dave Turner Australian consultant visited NZ in 2002 and spoke to Taskforce Mayors links with UK Changemakers • ABC Framework – a range of interventions that a Connexions Personal Adviser can take to support young people in transition

12. Taranaki Connections • Not a project or a programme … but a purpose, a goal , and a shared commitment … which deliver results by many inter-dependent strategies Elaine Gill Local Employment Co-ordination (LEC) Taranaki Employment Support Foundation

13. Taranaki Connections A Local Commitment • To ALL Young People • Based on Australian Youth Transitions Taskforce • A “human rights” charter for young people … and what this will require from all stakeholders

14. Taranaki Connections Working Together for Results • Community Case Management • The full toolbox of support • A commitment to staying connected to our young people

15. Framework Community Case Management Working Together for Results

16. Community Case Management 1. Governance Support • Taking leadership and setting targets on cultural goals • Catalysing community involvement on the issue • Encouraging a “sign-up” to a local commitment to young people • Challenging existing agencies to “raise their game” • Finding the necessary resources to deliver support and services

17. Community Case Management 2. Professional Support • Intensive Personal Support • Assessment; Counselling advice and guidance; Case management; Referral • Individual placement in pathways • Safety net for those most at risk and/or at a point of crisis/critical decision making

18. Community Case Management 3. Community Support • Individual, family, whanau, community and business support • Support structures – networks, contacts and pathways • Mentoring; Role models; Community-based learning; Work-related education & training; Developing employability skills; Work experience; Employment

19. Community Case Management 4. Peer Support • Young people helping themselves and each other • Adults facilitating learning and building self-help capacity of young people • Team projects and research; Led by young people; • Developing enterprising skills and skills to manage change; Community based learning and enterprise education

20. Community Case Management How it works • Available to ALL young people as they leave school • 5-year commitment to each young person • Meeting with young person every 10 weeks • Community Case Manager as advocate, mentor and role model • Case Management Co-ordinator • Combination of long-term commitment with pro-active advocacy to ensure a unique pathway is created for each young person

21. Community Case Management Working together • All parties committed to exploring “best practice” in co-operation, co-ordination and collaboration • Getting out of the usual “silos” and focusing on results for each individual young person • Sharing resources • Building on the experience of the Taranaki LEC network (Local Employment Co-ordination Group)

22. Community Case Management How it starts • Pilot the strategy in one area to begin • Begin with this year’s school-leavers • Slowly expand to encompass more and more numbers of existing unemployed in pilot area • Slowly expand to include other areas of obvious need • Evaluation and feedback as the scheme progresses

23. Statistics That Matter Scoreboard How many young people? Winz figures of young people 18-24yrs on benefit —September 2002 • New Plymouth District — 960 • Waitara • Stratford District — 164 • Hawera District — 301 • Patea • Total — 1425 young people

24. Taranaki Connections The Waitara Pilot Why Waitara? • Disproportionately large percentage of the regions youth unemployed • A ‘company town’ that lost its company • A supportive Head Teacher committed to the project • A manageable level of school leavers for a pilot

25. Taranaki Connections Why now? • Venture Taranaki school leavers research found young people needed: – more support and information – more opportunities to ‘experience’ options – help to plan their pathway from school – a long-term commitment in a structured manner • Leadership and support from the Mayors Taskforce and Government’s Youth Development Strategy • Policy emphasis on “whole of government” solutions … becoming “whole of community” solutions.

26. Taranaki Connections Commitment and “sign-up” needed • from Government Agencies to support the project and work together • from Community Case Management team to deliver best possible service • from community and business groups to support the scheme and it’s purpose • from young people