UnitedFuture believes that work is a good, both for society and for individuals. Having a job boosts self-esteem and a sense of personal dignity, and provides a role model for children in the family.
It is UnitedFuture policy to:
- Encourage all young people under 25 who are not at school to either be 'earning or learning' (i.e. in some form of education/training or work);
- Ensure that sickness and invalids beneficiaries seek treatment for their incapacity where this is appropriate as a condition of their benefit, and make funding available to provide treatment where it is likely to hasten their return to work;
- Closely monitor the effectiveness of current initiatives for moving domestic purposes recipients into appropriate employment as their children get older;
- Establish regional employment initiatives that arrive at local solutions to the specific causes of unemployment in communities, with a clear focus on getting people into jobs;
- Ensure that jobseekers have access to vacancies in other regions, and increase relocation grants for those who have to move to take up employment;
- Increase funding for adult literacy programmes, and ensure that every community education centre runs such programmes;
- Fund training programmes that are specifically targeted at up-skilling older New Zealanders who find themselves out of work;
- Support a campaign aimed at employers to break-down any negative perceptions of older workers, migrants and those with disabilities;.
- Prioritise funding for those vocational courses that develop skills and provide qualifications in fields facing shortages;
- Establish a specific employment placement service for refugees;
- Ensure that advice and information is available to businesses to support them in hiring migrants to fill skill shortages, and support migrants with workshops and training to learn about the Kiwi work environment;
- Develop a global online service that matches potential skilled migrants with job opportunities in New Zealand to help fill critical skill shortages, and develop regional immigration programmes allowing regions to meet skill needs where positions cannot be filled within New Zealand;
- Apply intensive case management to those beneficiaries who struggle to budget and pay for the basics, to ensure that their basic needs are being met, especially for households with children;
- Ensure that people receive their appropriate entitlements, by funding the Citizens Advice Bureau and other similar legal and community assistance services to give independent advice and advocacy on such issues.
see also UnitedFuture Policy on Families and Children