Ministry of Social Development

The Community Employment Progamme is funded by MSD and has been developed under a Central Government Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with MTFJ and LGNZ. The contract is to place 1,148 people in rural provincial New Zealand into sustainable employment for 2023-24.

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CONTACTS

The National Office Industry Partnerships Team at MSD includes:

• Nicola Anderson, Key Account Manager Corporate, Industry Partnerships
  Contact: Phone: 027 535 8247, Email: nicola.anderson011@msd.govt.nz
• Jack Fisher, Account Manager Industry Partnerships
  Contact: Phone: 029 943 1750, Email: jack.fisher011@msd.govt.nz

REPORTING

We report to MSD on a monthly basis. These reports are shared with various teams within MSD, including the MSD Industry Partnerships team, Labour Market Managers, Regional Commissioners, and local relationship contacts. These reports include information from the CRM Hubspot dashboard, financial reports, descriptive reports, and an end-of-year report.

Key Account Manager, Nicola also meets with Labour Market teams and local relationship managers on a monthly basis at the regional level to exchange insights and information.

​Find out more about reporting

Find out more about Hubspot

DEFINITION OF MSD OUTCOME

Employment Outcome means when, as a result of a council action or initiative under the programme, a person is placed into employment as below: 

• Permanent, full-time (30 hours+ a week) paid work, or 
• Permanent, part-time (a minimum of 15 hours a week) paid work where a person holds, and council has a record of, a medical certificate that excludes a person from full-time work 
• Permanent, part-time (a minimum of 20 hours a week) paid work where a person is a single parent or caregiver, of one or more dependent children under 14, is not in a relationship and does not have adequate financial support.   
  
  

To be eligible, the person must be a New Zealand citizen, permanent resident, or have a residence class visa under the Immigration Act 2009. At least 80% of these outcomes should benefit young people not in employment, education, or training (NEET), or those identified as at risk of becoming NEET.

 A Sustainable Employment Outcome is achieved when a person has been continuously employed for 91 days.   

DELIVERABLES 

While all councils must meet basic requirements, the way they deliver and what they deliver in terms of employment support varies by location. This recognises gaps in services to support NEETs and other disadvantaged people in some rural and provincial areas and that councils are well placed to coordinate the provision of local services in conjunction with their community partners (iwi, employers, schools etc).   Examples of services include financial literacy programmess, CV and interviewing support, mobile employment hubs, and more.

ALIGNMENT TO MSD OFFICES 

To run the programme successfully, councils need to work closely with local MSD offices and have regular meetings with the local MSD relationship manager, ideally every two weeks. This alignment ensures consistent information and prioritises programme funding for aspects not covered by MSD, such as Flexi-wage, in-work support, Mana in Work, and Transition to Work.  Eligibility assessments will be made by your local MSD team.  Your local team may also have other programmes and funding, on top of those listed below, that are suitable.

Councils can also report referrals to MSD beyond their contracted numbers.

FLEXI-WAGE

Flexi-wage provides wage subsidies and additional assistance to employers hiring individuals who do not meet entry-level job requirements. The goal is to help these individuals gain the skills and experience they need to secure and maintain unsubsidised employment.

​Find out more about Flexi-wage.

MANA IN MAHI

Mana in Mahi provides support for individuals who are at risk of long-term benefit dependency and who are seeking part-time or full-time work paid at least the adult minimum wage. It also includes those who are currently employed but at risk of losing their jobs and needing to retrain.

​Find out more about Mana in Mahi.

TRANSITION TO WORK

A Transition to Work Grant is available to individuals aged 18 or older who are seeking or starting paid work in New Zealand and meet specific criteria, such as being a New Zealand citizen or resident.

Find out more about the Transition to Work Grant.
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16-19 YEAR OLDS

Rangatahi aged between 16 and 19 can apply for assistance if they are reliant on government assistance, have dependents, face extreme hardship, or have an Early Leaving Exemption (ELE) from school.

Find out more about support for 16-19 year olds.
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