We are delighted to confirm Affinity Services as another of our founding clients.

Affinity Services is a standalone Charitable Company, owned by the Affinity Services Charitable Trust. They are a community based organisation, who have provided mental health services in the Auckland region for over 33 years.

Affinity provides community based, recovery focused, mental health support services and strives to assist people attain and live rich and fulfilled lives.

Their mission? In partnership with Māori and service users, Affinity will build upon strengths to provide pathways to recovery and leadership in the mental health sector. Na te whakahoatanga o Affinity rātou ko ngā Iwi Māori me ngā Tangata Whaiora, ka mahia e tātou ki te whakanui a tātou kaha, kia hanga ngā ara tika ngā ara pai mo te hokinga mai ki te hauora. Hei kaiarahi tātou i tenei mahi hauora e pā ana ki ngā mate hinengaro.

For more information about Affinity Services, visit their website.

Here’s a snipet from our latest epānui in which we welcome aboard the Ministry of Education. If you’d like to subscribe, vist our website and sign up for regular updates by clicking the Subscribe By Email button.

There is a wide range of opportunities available at the Ministry of Education. They offer careers with interest and challenge, a range of benefits and unique development opportunities that will help you get to where you want to be. Find out what positions are currently available and how to apply by visiting their site.

The Ministry of Education is building a world-leading education system that equips all New Zealanders with the knowledge, skills, and values to be successful citizens in the 21st-century. One foundation to achieving the Ministry’s objectives is the development and implementation of their Ka Hikitia – Managing for Success: The Māori Education Strategy 2008 – 2012.

The programme is the Ministry of Education’s approach to improve the performance of the education system for and with Māori.  It is a key aspect of having a quality education system where students are succeeding and achieving.  For further information regarding the Ka Hikitia – Managing for Success: The Māori Education Strategy 2008 – 2012 , click here.

In addition to The Maori Education strategy 2008 – 2010, the Ministry have also implemented a Pasifika Education Plan 2009 – 2012 in support of Pacific peoples.  Their vision is that the education system must also work for Pasifika so they gain the knowledge and skills necessary to do well for themselves, their communities, Aotearoa New Zealand, the Pacific region and the world.  Read more.

Employers who “cut into the muscle” and made too many redundancies are facing a skills shortage which will only worsen during any economic recovery, a report out today from recruiter Hudson says.

The annual Hudson 20:20 Series surveyed 605 employers and 1690 employees from around Australasia.

It found 84 per cent of employers felt they had made too many redundancies and two-thirds said their teams were now under resourced.

Hudson executive general manager Marc Burrage said during the downtown many organisations “cut the fat”.

“But these results suggest that many also cut the muscle,” he says.

The report revealed 80 per cent of employers have an active focus on growth but attempts to rebuild the strength of their workforce are falling short.

“Employers say that almost half of their current hires are not good,” Burrage says.

This was reflected in an increase to 57 per cent of the number of bosses experiencing skills shortages, up from 44 per cent last year.

Burrage says quality, not quantity, in hires will make the difference.

“The effects of a poor hire go way beyond the cost of back-filling the role. A bad hire will damage the team and have a negative lasting effect on existing high performers.”

Despite the looming skills shortages, particularly in information technology, both employers and employees feel overwhelmingly positive about the economic outlook.

This sense of confidence has seen some 62 of employees seeking new jobs and 93 per cent of those on the move planning to be in a new job within 18 months, the report says.

“These figures forewarn a staggering degree of movement in New Zealand’s workforce and a fresh set of challenges ahead for employers,” Burrage says.

Employers will face a battle to retain talent against a backdrop of fierce competition and greater movement among employees, he says.

While there was cautious optimism in the marketplace many employers experienced minimal growth over the last 12 months.

Over 50 per cent of employers reported some scheduled business development plans were put on hold during the downturn, 51 per cent recorded a drop in profit or revenue and 38 per cent had downgraded their profit outlook.

Radio New Zealand 20 August 2010

A survey of 500 people by Research New Zealand has found under-35s were split 50:50 on the idea, although support drops away in older age groups.

Te Ataarangi teaching group chair Rahera Shortland started the first Māori immersion class in a mainstream school at Auckland Girls’ Grammar.

She says developments like Māori language week have paved the way for wider acceptance.

“I think there’s more tolerance towards the language (now),” she told Waatea News.

Ms Shortland said the main barrier to rolling out compulsory Māori would being enough teachers.

By JAMES WEIR and NZPA – BusinessDay.co.nz 06/08/10

Unemployment is hitting hardest among the young, Maori, and Pacific Islanders, and especially in the top half of the North Island.

It rose 19,000 in the June quarter to reach 159,000, a rise of 0.8 of a percentage point to 6.8 per cent, much higher than predicted.

Ministers said that, though worse, the figures were still an improvement on the 7.1 per cent figure at the end of last year.

Many economists cast doubt on the big drop in unemployment seen in the March quarter to 6 per cent, which was seen as “unbelievably strong” and hard to swallow after the recession.

The latest figures, while much worse than the forecast 6.2 per cent to 6.4 per cent, were more in line with a slow economic recovery.

While unemployment overall has increased to 6.8 per cent in the Household Labour Force Survey, Maori unemployment is up from 14.2 per cent to 16.4 per cent.

“That means 26,400 Maori are now without jobs – an increase of 3600 since the previous quarter,” Labour Maori affairs spokesman Parekura Horomia said.

“The situation actually is even worse because the unemployment rate is higher in places like the East Coast and the Far North.”

Community help groups say some of those out of work are finding it tough to pay the bills and put food on the table.

Citizens Advice Bureau spokeswoman Louise May said that, since the recession hit a couple of years ago, the organisation had seen more people, especially men, seeking help after being laid off.

Staff were seeing people with “high levels of stress” as a result of the recession, and that was also affecting family relationships, Ms May said.

In the past year more unemployed people were also seeking help for drinking, drug and gambling problems.

Labour, the Greens and unions are blaming the Government for the sharp rise in unemployment. Labour leader Phil Goff said the figures were a tragedy for those who had lost their jobs.

He said the Government did not have a plan to deal with the situation and further inaction would mean prolonged uncertainty over the jobs market.

Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei said the figures were a stark reminder that the Government’s policies were taking New Zealand in the wrong direction, and the Council of Trade Unions said there was a sense the economy was stalling.

“The figure of 6.8 per cent shows that the recession is not over for many,” CTU secretary Peter Conway said.

“The Government is far too complacent about this – jobs are at the heart of any economic recovery.”

He called on the Government to step up help for unemployed people by expanding employment programmes and bringing forward job-rich infrastructure spending.

Acting Prime Minister Gerry Brownlee said there was “no doubt the Government would express some disappointment with those numbers, but last December’s figure was 7.1 per cent – coming back to 6.8 per cent in that relatively short period of time is encouraging.”

REGIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT

The worst:

Northland: 9.1 per cent (9.1pc March quarter)

Auckland: 8.7 per cent (7.9pc March quarter)

Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay: 8.5 per cent (6.5pc March quarter)

Getting better:

Wellington: 5.5 per cent (5.7pc March quarter)

Taranaki: 4.9 per cent (5.1pc March quarter)

Manawatu/ Whanganui: 6.9pc (7pc March quarter)

Unemployment by ethnic group:

Pakeha: 4.4 per cent

Maori: 16.4 per cent

Pacific Island: 14.1 per cent

Asian: 10.5 per cent

The Dominion Post 31/07/10

Prime Minister John Key believes Maori businesses can capitalise on the major world sporting events New Zealand will host over the next 18 months.

Mr Key, in Hamilton this week to visit iwi organisations during Maori Language Week, said iwi and Maori business leaders were “very encouraged” by the prospects presented by the Rowing World Championships later this year, and the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Mr Key said Maori economic development was vital to New Zealand.

Maori had “a lot of resources heavily targeted at the primary sector”, but he also identified tourism and a unique Maori experience as being crucial opportunities.

The hosting of the 2010 World Rowing Championships at Karapiro in Waikato “was a great opportunity to show the rest of New Zealand what we can do during the Rugby World Cup”, Mr Key said.

He expected tourists would be fascinated by the options in New Zealand, which ranged from entertainment and kapa haka to food and indigenous experiences.

Mr Key said the Government had made an investment in Maori tourism with a $4.5 million injection into Te Puni Kokiri as part of its last Budget, funding that was on top of $30m of general tourism funding.

Speaking to Maori business and community leaders at a breakfast function at Waikato University yesterday morning, Mr Key said Maori economic development was evolving rapidly.

That was “primarily a result of the treaty settlement process that has got momentum”, as well as the significant economic wealth tied up in iwi, particularly Waikato-Tainui.

There was a new “sophistication among runanga (governors) managing those (iwi) assets”, and Mr Key singled out Tainui’s The Base development as outstanding.

New Zealand would not succeed without Maori economic development, he said, noting the growing Maori population in the future workforce.

“That’s where the grunt of New Zealand is,” he said. “So we need to get that right.”

Mr Key identified “unique aspects” of Maori business, including long-term ownership and the “integration of culture and history in brands”.

“In terms of Maori business, I think we’re on exactly the right track,” he said, anticipating a huge demand for New Zealand goods and services where Maori businesses were closely involved.

Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples, accompanying Mr Key on his visit, said the two parties had held summits around the country tackling Maori economic and unemployment issues.

“Iwi are progressing very well. I predict in 10 years time, iwi will be major players in infrastructure – they’ll no longer be driving the bulldozer, they’ll be owning the road,” Dr Sharples said.

Craig Muntz, director of tourism firm Aotearoa Experience, said acknowledgement of the need for Maori economic development and education was “absolutely vital”.

Mr Muntz said there was great potential for businesses offering “authentic Maori experiences” and eco-tourism.

“It’s a point of difference in the international marketplace, and a strong competitive advantage for this country,” Mr Muntz said.

He said Dr Sharples’ long involvement with Maori arts and culture, and Mr Key’s role as Tourism Minister, were positive aspects for Maori business.

19 July 2010 by Hon Paula Bennett, Social Development and Employment

The total number of jobs advertised online continues to rise, up by 36.9 percent since June last year and by 9.4 percent over the last three months.

The Jobs Online results released today show skilled job vacancies increased by 10.0 percent over the last three months and by 33.6 percent since June 2009.

“I’m particularly pleased to see strong and consistent growth in the number of skilled jobs being advertised online,” says Employment Minister Paula Bennett.

The biggest industry increases were in construction and engineering (up 14.9%) in sales, retail, marketing and advertising (up 10.5%) and IT (up 10.4%).

Advertised Health jobs online increased 8.3 percent over the last three months.

“It’s encouraging to see job ads increasing across all industries, including health, which is the latest industry to rebound in advertised vacancies,” says Ms Bennett.

Advertised skilled jobs also increased across all regions, with particularly strong growth in the North Island outside of Auckland and Wellington (up 10.1%). 

Skilled jobs advertised online rose 10 percent in Auckland and 8.7 percent in Wellington over the last three months.

Jobs Online collates data from New Zealand’s leading online advertisers Trade Me Jobs, Herald Jobs and SEEK.

The Jobs Online monthly report can be found at:

http://www.dol.govt.nz/publications/jol/report/

stuff.co.nz 25/06/2010

The 28-year-old All Whites striker is right behind Māori Football New Zealand’s campaign to offer football as a credible alternative to rugby and rugby league – the traditional codes for Māori and Polynesian youth.

Fallon belongs to the Ngati Porou iwi on the North Island’s East Coast and says his Māori heritage is “a massive part of who I am”.  He spoke about his passion for creating football heroes for Māori youth at a presentation to the All Whites by Māori Football New Zealand in South Africa this week.

Fallon believes there is tremendous potential” for young Māori to take up football, which has traditionally been regarded in New Zealand as a middle class, Pakeha sport.

But that perception may not be reality.

Māori New Zealand manager Phil Pickering Parker says a survey two years ago showed “roughly in the vicinity of 50,000 to 60,000 Māori youth, across both genders in the five to 12 age bracket” were playing football.

“What was really, really surprising to us was in the boys’ bracket, football featured higher than rugby and rugby league, which I guess really gave us the spur on to go on and do something and form an organisation to promote the beauty of the game, the health benefits of football, the social interactiveness… basically all the life messages that football brings.”

Parker says the All Whites had, in the past, “been invisible” to New Zealand youth, who lacked “some visible role models, whether Māori or non-Māori”.

“So hopefully with this sort of exposure and the great success the All Whites are having at the moment, I can’t see why football at some near point in the future can’t rival rugby and rugby league [as a sporting choice for Māori].

Parker says the traditional age for Māori youth to drop out of football is between 13 and 15. “That’s the age they transition into rugby and other more physical, traditional sports.”

He hopes the All Whites’ higher profile will help stem the tide and show youngsters there is a career path in football.

Helping that cause is the fact that the All Whites are no longer all white.  Four members of the squad – starting XI stalwarts Fallon, Winston Reid and Leo Bertos and midfielder Jeremy Christie, who came off the bench in the draws with Slovakia and Italy, have Māori heritage.

Fallon’s father Kevin is a Yorkshireman who came to New Zealand to play for Gisborne City and later went to the 1982 World Cup finals as the All Whites’ assistant coach.

His mother, Mere, is Ngati Porou. “I’ve been brought up on [Māori culture] since I was young,” Fallon says. “I’ve been at the marae on the East Coast… Obviously I don’t believe in all the Māori gods, I believe in one God,” the born-again Christian said. “But apart from that, it’s a massive part of my culture.”

Fallon – who scored the headed goal that took the All Whites to South Africa – knows his presence at the World Cup finals “is a great honour for my tribe”.

Fallon hopes young Māori may look to him, Reid, Bertos and Christie and see a future for themselves in football.

“Everyone looks up to the All Blacks because they are one of the best teams in the world and a lot of them are Māori and Polynesians. They look to the football team and there weren’t any Māori or Polynesians. But now there’s four of us. I know there’s talent out there, there’s definitely talent…you only have to look at the All Blacks and Kiwi rugby league teams and see the power and [athletic ability] there, so why not football?”

Māori and Polynesians have “massive” football potential, Fallon believes.

“They’re strong [and] they’re quick. To be a top footballer, that’s what you need. But you always find it’s the discipline that lets them down ”

That’s where Fallon – who left New Zealand at 16 to forge a professional career in England -  hopes he and others can help.

His Christian faith has inspired him to get involved in programmes for under-privileged kids in Plymouth where he plays for Plymouth Argyle.

He hopes to do something similar in New Zealand when he returns home.

“Hopefully, one day when I come back to New Zealand, I can get my hands dirty.

“I’ve always felt in my heart I’d love to give something back to Māori and Polynesian kids or anyone who’s struggling with their lives, their families, gang culture or crime.

“There’s always a way out. There’s two ways you can go, the right way or the wrong way and we want to show them the right way.”

Football could offer a way out, Fallon says.

“There’s a Māori or Polynesian kid out there struggling as we speak who are watching the World Cup on TV and thinking, ‘I don’t have to be in a gang’. I can get into my school team, play as good as I can and play for New Zealand and hopefully one day play in the World Cup’. ”

“Anything’s possible.”

Fallon would like to work in with Māori Football New Zealand ” because Phil’s already there doing the groundwork”. “There’s no point me starting up my own thing, I’m not one of those people who want to take all the limelight, if I see something like Phil’s doing I’ll join in.”

Parker is hard at work promoting the game to Māori and Polynesians in areas like South Auckland and assisting promising players with development and educational opportunities.

He has practised what he preaches.  As a boy in Rotorua he “tended to play a lot more rugby and league out the back with the brothers and the cousins”.

But his life changed at five when suffered third degree burns to 51 per cent of his body in a serious accident.

“The doctor said I couldn’t play because of the thinness of  my skin, so rugby and league were absolute no-nos  because of the fear of infection.”

His father, former English professional Denis Pickering Parker decided “football would be good for my rehab so he chucked me in goal”.  “But I didn’t stay there long, I like to run around.”

Parker never looked back. He was a star junior player and captained the Junior All Whites in 1989 before having a long career in the northern regional leagues till “a string of injuries last year”.

He’s passed his love of the game down to his 13-year-old daughter, Taelor, “who has 30 per cent permanent hearing loss”.

The number of New Zealanders receiving a benefit increased slightly over the month of May by 0.6 percent, but overall numbers remain below forecast.

“With seasonal work winding up, we expected to see a slight increase in Unemployment Benefit figures, but it is much lower and has occurred later than it did last year,” says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

All benefit types have increased by 1,887 in total.

An extra 729 people have gone onto a Sickness Benefit, 342 more people on the DPB and 391 more on an Unemployment Benefit.

Despite the increase 7,121 New Zealanders went off a benefit in May because they found work.

“I am heartened to see that 2,121 Maori and 440 Pacific Islanders left the benefit because they got a job last month,” says Ms Bennett.

There are currently 329,349 people on benefits and the Unemployment Benefit makes up 60,106 of that number.

Work and Income is still getting strong support from employers offering work to beneficiaries with 4,583 new jobs listed at Work and Income last month.

Department of Labour’s Jobs Online index also shows continued growth in skilled positions advertised online – up 8.2 percent in the three months to May.

Monday, 31 May 2010, 5:18 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Government

Ministers Release Māori Education Report by scoop.co.nz

Education Minister Anne Tolley and Associate Education Minister Dr Pita Sharples today released Ngā Haeata Mātauranga, the Annual Report on Māori Education for 2008/09.

“We are beginning to see some positive gains in Māori education, but much more hard work lies ahead,” says Mrs Tolley.

“The need to step up and transform the performance of the education system for Māori is being recognised.

“Major Government initiatives such as National Standards and the Youth Guarantee will have a great effect on raising achievement, while the expansion of the Te Kotahitanga professional development programme for teachers is also making a significant contribution.

“Early childhood education also plays an important part, and new funding of $91.8 million announced in Budget 2010 for five intensive, community-led participation projects in high priority areas will directly benefit Māori families.”

Dr Sharples says that the education system is doing better in certain areas for some Māori students, but that success needs to be more widespread.

“NCEA data continues to show strong patterns of achievement among Māori learners attending secondary schools where teaching and learning were done though Māori language and culture. Results show Māori-medium learners were more likely to meet literacy and numeracy requirements for NCEA Level 1 than their peers at English-medium schools.

“The number of kura kaupapa Māori, kura Māori, and kura teina has increased from 13 in 1992 to 88 in 2008. And enrolments at bilingual schools grew by 38.9 per cent (or 2,909 students) between July 2007 and July 2008.

“Ngā Haeata Mātauranga 2008/09 highlights a broad range of activities underway to improve the performance of the system for and with Māori – in mainstream schools as well as Maori-medium settings – designed to raise achievement, increase participation, encourage te reo Māori in classrooms, and support culturally responsive practices by teachers and school leaders,” says Dr Sharples. “Ka Hikitia – Managing for Success is the Government’s plan of action for achieving these priorities.

“Other areas of progress for Māori learners include increased retention in school and increased participation in higher level tertiary education,” he says.

The report can be viewed at:

http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/series/5851/75954