Employment Programmes – Addressing Time-Limited Funding - Budget 2023

Continuing to support employment services for at-risk New Zealanders as we recover from COVID-19 - Wellbeing Budget 2023.

This initiative enables MSD to continue to provide a broad range of employment services to New Zealanders at risk of poor employment outcomes.

The Government is investing $30.715 million over four years (2023/24 to 2026/27) to continue support for previously-funded employment programmes and services that complement the Ministry of Social Development’s core employment service by helping New Zealanders at risk of poor labour market outcomes into sustainable employment that supports a more productive and equitable economy.

• This funding includes a wide range of initiatives – Direct Career Guidance Service, Connected, Education to Employment, Supporting Offenders into Employment, Student Job Search Permanent Placement Initiative.
• MSD has committed to providing employment support to a wide range of New Zealanders at risk of poor labour market outcomes. Across all the services covered by this funding, thousands of New Zealanders have been supported annually, including ‘walk in’ or external programmes like Connected and Education to Employment.
• These services are currently funded through to June 2023 and without further support would have needed to either end or be significantly scaled down.
• While the height of the pandemic has passed, the economic situation remains uncertain with an anticipated recession and further growth in benefit receipt expected.
• The choice of what programmes to continue long-term is informed by what is needed for those most vulnerable to economic shocks. Some of these programmes like the Direct Career Guidance Service and Connected are important parts of broader government priorities, such as the Active Labour Market Programme review being supported by the Employment, Education and Training Ministers Group or the Employment Action Plans (as part of the Employment Strategy).
• This initiative forms a package with the Oranga Mahi and Mayor’s Taskforce for Jobs initiatives.