Click here to visit the Youth Employment Guide website.

View NZBCSD Youth Employment Project Plan (85kb Word document)
View TMP research report1 (1Mb Word document)

Society makes a substantial investment in educating and training its young people. This investment is wasted if their potential productivity remains untapped through high levels of youth unemployment. New technologies and the globalisation of markets are making human labour more productive, but as productivity rises, so to does the risk of leaving many young people unemployed. Communities with high levels of youth unemployment are at greater risk of crime, drug abuse and vandalism.

According to United Nations’ estimates, there are at least 70 million young people between the ages of 15-24 that have no job. There is evidence that there may be multifaceted structural problems that are not removed by general economic expansion – the jobless rate for the OECD15-24 age group was more than double the figure for adults in 1999. It is predicted that around 500 million new jobs will be necessary worldwide by 2010.

The NZBCSD members feel that this is an area where we can contribute because we have a large number of members who employ a great many people. This is a win/win project that will result in well-trained, fine young employees for our companies, and jobs for the kids.

Unemployed young people can not contribute to the economic development of the country, and are in fact a drain on its resources. Business can serve its own interests by providing youth employment, which will reverse the symptoms outlined below.

- Unemployed young people have less to spend on products and services, denting aggregate demand.

- With no meaningful work experience, individuals become established in a patern of joblessness. The employability of young people deteriorates because he or she is not updating their skills.

- Personal savings are reduced or eliminated, reducing the pool of capital available to business and making the individual financially dependant on others.

- Reduced taxation base and higher welfare costs lower the amount of money available for investing in education and infrastructure, while limiting the scope for tax cuts.

Project Objective: “Lead NZ business in their role of ensuring current employment or training for all young New Zealanders by 2005”.

The NZBCSD will work alongside The Mayor’s Taskforce for Jobs to focus on catalysing projects that will see no young person out of work or training by 2005.

The Mayor's Task force is a coalition of 31 NZ mayors and has the following goals:
By 2005, no young person under 25 years will be out of work or training in our communities; By 2009, all people in our communities will have the opportunity to be in work or training;

Youth Employment Project Champions
Stephen Tindall (The Warehouse)
Rodger Spiller (Money Matters)
Richard Lauder (City Care Ltd)
Steve Bonnici (Urgent Couriers)

Youth Employment Active Participants
Fonterra
Milburn New Zealand
The Warehouse
Urgent Couriers
Money Matters
City Care

The Warehouse is a Project Champion and Active Participant for the NZBCSD's Youth Employment Project. For more information on this project see Youth Employment Project area

City Care is a Project Champion and Active Participant for the NZBCSD's Youth Employment Project. For more information on this project see Youth Employment Project area

Urgent Couriers is a Project Champion and Active Participant for the NZBCSD's Youth Employment Project. For more information on this project see Youth Employment Project area

Money Matters is a Project Champion and Active Participant for the NZBCSD's Youth Employment Project. For more information on this project see Youth Employment Project area

Fonterra is an Active Participant for the NZBCSD's Youth Employment Project. For more information on this project see Youth Employment Project area

Holcim (formerly Milburn) is an Active Participant for the NZBCSD's Youth Employment Project. For more information on this project see Youth Employment Project area