The Employment Strategy

Geoff Bascand

Department of Labour11 October 2001

Establishing the Employment Strategy

• A well functioning labour market is critical to social cohesion and economic progress.

• The Employment Strategy contributes to three key Government goals & links with other strategies such as ‘Reducing Inequalities’.

Background & Principles of Background & Principles of the Employment Strategythe Employment Strategy

• Seeks the development of a

broad set of mutually supportive,

co-ordinated policies across a

number of Ministerial portfolios.

Background & Principles of the Employment Strategy

• The Employment Strategy provides a broad framework:

for policy makers to understand about

what matters for achieving employment

objectives;

within which the Government’s

employment priorities can be established &

policies can be developed & implemented.

Key Government Goals

Principle Objectives of the Strategy

High Level Strategic Goals

Policies and Programmes

Key Objectives of the Employment Strategy

• Minimising disadvantage: to minimise the incidence of persistent disadvantage in the labour market

• Maximising potential: to maximise the number of jobs and the level of earnings for all

High Level Strategic Goals

• Macroeconomic stability: sustained economic growth and employment growth

• Removing barriers to job growth

• Flexible, highly skilled workforce

• Developing strong communities

• Improving Mäori and Pacific participation

• Improving participation of people with disabilities and other groups at risk

Human Capabilities Framework

Achieving the Strategy’s principle objectives is dependent on policies and programmes that are:

• Opportunity creating - maximise employment opportunities through a steady growth in the demand for labour

• Capacity building - encourage the development of skills that are valued in the labour market and

• Matching - facilitate a well-functioning labour market, minimise barriers to the matching skills and jobs, facilitate participation in the labour market and assist adjustment to changes in circumstances

Monitoring Regime

The Strategy is monitored at two levels:

• Outcomes - provides a detailed summary of progress in relation to the Employment Strategy goals (every twelve months).

• Activities - provides a detailed summary of government activities and initiatives that have contributed to the achievement of the Employment Strategy goals (every six months).

How were Outcome Measures Chosen?

• Outcome measures arose from goals

• Some relationships strong, eg can directly measure economic growth.

• Other outcomes measured by proxy, eg measuring developing strong communities using regional unemployment / employment statistics

How were Outcome Measures Chosen?

• Evaluations planned or underway e.g. employment

evaluation strategy; community action research

• Process of measurement is evolving by encouraging

developments in agencies eg Integrated employer-

employee data (with SNZ, Treasury etc), MSD’s Social

Indicators

• Use of robust, well-tested measures that are updated

regularly

Strengths of Employment Strategy

• The Strategy deals with issues that cross departments and agencies

• It has both an operational and policy focus• “Top-down” and “bottom -up” approach: sub-

goals developed from underlying objectives. Activities provide focus at an operational level.

• Regular monitoring process• Involvement & development of EMPSOG

Employment Senior Officials Group (EMPSOG)

Established in 2000

EMPSOG’s objectives are:

• Reviewing progress towards the accomplishment of the Employment Strategy

• Assessing and identifying any changes in priorities

EMPSOG

• Supporting the development of initiatives, through co-ordination with other related initiatives and alignment with strategic objectives

• Representatives from DoL, MSD, MED, Careers Services, TPK, Treasury, Skill NZ, MOE, MoRST, MYA, MWA, MPIA & DPMC

Issues

• Relationship of Employment Strategy to other

Government strategies

• Relevance of activities and outcomes to other

departments / agencies

• Continuing level of inter-agency support and involvement

• Ability to improve analysis around the outcomes /

activities relationship