DOC and Labour's youth unemployment policy

One of my first thoughts is to wonder where most of these 10,000 people are. If they're mostly in Auckland (?), what sorts of complications are there with shifting them to places where stuff needs doing, and paying them minimum wage at the same time?

When you give people opportunities, and have belief in them, they will (not always, but some will) make it work. What a great initiative!

Yes I hope so. Much detail's not yet given, though. eg. Will people be forced to do this, or will it be voluntary?

Even something compulsory can be made to be empowering. But I don't think it will be compulsory. There are ways to encourage participation without forcing people.

Yes that's true. I'm all for giving people opportunities as long as they want to be there, and using the conservation estate for that would probably also be another great way to introduce people to it who might never have had that opportunity otherwise. There are still heaps of unanswered questions about this policy, though. More that come to mind are: * Can DOC and other agencies produce meaningful work for the amount of people who might want to be on a programme? * Where's the work going to be relative to where people are? If it's not nearby, does it mean mass shifting of young people to remote places for six month stints, and how does accommodation work? * Who's running the training programme? Do agencies like DOC have to divert their existing skills, expertise and other resources from their primary roles? * Part of Labour's justification for this, where DOC's concerned, is that DOC is underfunded and understaffed to the point that it's barely meeting its mandate. If part of the solution is to throw thousands of young, unqualified and potentially troubled people at DOC who might need large amounts of training and supervision, what does this mean for Labour's intent for actually resourcing DOC properly to do its primary job? Kevin Hackwell (of F&B) was on Morning Report this morning saying much the same sort of stuff. http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201822771/labour's-volunteer-work-policy-comes-in-for-criticism

This is where society has changed so much. When we had a deer problem we just gave a lot of young guys guns and a meagre supply of food and dumped them at a hut for a couple months. Done. Now days..... Give these guys and girls possum traps, flour, sugar, weetbix. Dump them in a hut. Get an experienced guy to go around these huts checking up and tallying the tales. Boom done. Now I'm going to get some well thought responses around how this won't work. But that's the problem with our society today. We think too much.

I really hope this does work but from observing past efforts like this, and being involved in one myself, (remember PEP?) from maybe 30 to 40 years ago I have my doubts. Problem is that many people just are not inclined, for one reason or another, to want, or be able, to work. Back then I lived in the Hokianga area where there were 3rd generation unemployed. All the PEP schemes etc. were a total waste of time and money up there. I know 2 young men in their 20's here in Motueka. One is keen to work and has no problem going from job to job. The other has not a clue HOW to work and never holds a job, if he can find one, for more than a few days. And there is heaps of work available around here. You can always lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. At a much deeper level there is a basic assumption made by our society that everyone needs to work - with 'work' being defined in a logical, practical, Western way. The second young man I mentioned would probably be in a monastery if he lived in Asia. Actually he probably would be happy to do some DOC work so maybe there is hope?! And lets hope that 'Gaiters' "experienced guy" has some TAILS to count rather than just "tales" as (presumably) his typo inferred! lol Oh, and by the way - I love to think! One of the joys of my life is to start 'thinking' at the bottom of a steep hill and suddenly find myself at the top wondering how I got there! lol

Don't worry. The thinking around here won't influence anything that actually happens.

Haha. Appropriate typo for sure. Oh and don't get me wrong I love to think, or daydream (it's a matter of perspective), as well. But when it comes to matters of things like this I just think, get off your ass and get a job. Now my partner and myself are chipping away at looking for an early retirement so we can drop out of the nine to five existence. But you have to work to do that. It's a fact of life. No one is going to gift us a lifestyle block put an eco home on it and provide us a coffee cart. You've got to do the hard yards yourself. Our oldest boys (12 & 9) have jobs, they make thirty five dollars each a week putting stickers on bands that get put over the meals my business makes. They have saved a lot of money, bought bikes, clothes, sports gear, and spending money for our overseas trips. They hate the job, but they love the money and the rewards it brings. But more importantly they are learning how the world works. This is just the way it is. Capitalism. So if the young man who doesn't know how to work but doesn't want to join a monestry wants a peaceful life he needs to get a job make some money to set himself up to do that. Some of these generational beneficiaries need tough love. Cut their benefit for good. Give them a basic wage and a bunch of possum traps. The rest is up to them. Take it or leave it. Myself and my partner are both small town Maori, we know about this as well as any. People abuse the fantastic state welfare system we have and it needs to change.