Background papers for the 1999
Manawatu Employment Summit"Moving from blame to solutions:
Can we find common ground between the
employer and the employee?"
Councillor Bob Stewart,
P.O. Box 1539, Palmerston North
"There is a saying that a mountain is made up of grains of earth... and maybe that is how we should look at the problem of moving so many of us from unemployment to employment. There's no single answer to unemployment, there are countless ones"
Introduction
Discussion about employment and unemployment is bedevilled by the search for blame. If one is unemployed then the blame is on "the system" and "structural employment". If one is an employer the blame is on those who do not have a "work ethic" and who "do not want to work".
The truth is that many factors are involved in unemployment, both structural and individual, and that it is a waste of time to look for someone to "blame".
We have to focus on solutions, rather than blame. Such solutions will come from trying to look a variety of answers, rather than a simplistic approach to something or someone to "blame".
Can we find common ground between the employer and the employee?
I believe so!
First, we need real jobs!
We need jobs that are, in and of themselves, economically sustainable. Governments can create "make work" jobs which have no economic basis, but ultimately they do not last, and they are essentially an insult to the workers.
So how do we create economically sustainable jobs?
In order to be economically sustainable, jobs must fulfil a real demand. It is only this type of job that can give real security to those seeking employment, and seek a livelihood for themselves and their families.
How do we create these real jobs?
Such "real" jobs can only come from a strong economy. Palmerston North people will need to have boldness and real skill, to create these jobs by growing a stronger economy. This means stronger businesses, whether they be small, medium or large. And remember there is a "life-cycle" for businesses, whereby small businesses may grow in their number of jobs to medium or large businesses. Sometimes businesses grow to the point where they outgrow their homes and leave (eg Glaxo). Thus we need younger businesses coming on to replace the businesses that have "grown up" and "left home". It is vital that there is the right climate for enterprise, whereby new young businesses are being created and grown to create the jobs needed for the future.
But Economic Growth isn't enough!
The groups most vulnerable to unemployment aren't going to benefit from a stronger economy unless there are real steps to enable them to turn their lives around.
We need to create the climate for positive employment
The Employment Task Force on Employment focussed mainly on how to address the needs of those most at risk: As a result of their work, the Task Force arrived at four main conclusions, which can be represented, in quotes, as follows:
"Our solutions will be better than Wellington solutions. We need to make sure our ideas don't get lost in the Beehive". We have to guard against what I have heard described as "Wello-centric" solutions!
Communities, including Palmerston North, need to empower themselves to find their own solutions. I thus welcome this Employment Summit, and hope that lives will be affected for the better because of our deliberations.
"It is futile to send people on programmes that don't work well. Yet many programmes are virtually unmonitored."
Better feedback means the country can build on success and switch resources from things that don't work well, to things that do.
"Many unemployed say they feel like pinballs being ricocheted around an inhuman machine. Their individual needs aren't recognised, their strengths are left untapped"
More personalised service will require giving greater discretionary power to frontline service providers.
"The story of every unemployed person is a story of missed opportunities. Failing to identify children with short-sightedness, glue ear, reading difficulties, or family problems are missed opportunities. Failing to create linkages between job seekers and job offers, or between school students and job experiences are missed opportunities"
But this isn't the whole story!
We can have real jobs, and create a positive climate for employment, but there is still the "X" factor!
Ultimately people are responsible for themselves!
As the proverb says, you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink. People can, with justice, blame the Government, their parents etc. etc., but ultimately what happens does come down to that inner drive. Otherwise how do we explain those individuals who overcome all the odds, all the predictions, and achieve something special with their lives.
That inner drive can be manifested in all areas of life, and in all areas of human achievement, whether this be caring for others, manifesting great sporting or aesthetic skill, or creating some significant commercial enterprise.
I would like to take the entrepreneur, as an example of human achievement, because the efforts of these people also have the spin-off of creating jobs for others.
To those who are unemployed, I would challenge them to consider self-employment. Self-employment can be high risk enterprise, but with the proper advice this risk can be substantially reduced. Also of course, life is about giving things a go.
People need to be encouraged to look all the time for "gaps" in services available in the community, and to consider whether there is a "market niche" that can be filled.
An example to illustrate.
To indicate that I speak from the heart on this mater, I would like to present my own experience as an example.
As a proprietor of a small business I know the rewards and challenges of starting an enterprise in the Manawatu. From Palmerston North, I edit and publish an International Journal in the Social Psychology field, which now includes the work of writers from 100 nations around the world. Authors and university library subscribers in these countries are in touch via the Internet. This successful business fits well into the Education and Learning strengths of the City.
As with any business, it arose from the "market niche" that I perceived in my previous work. I was a Lecturer and Professor in Human Development at Massey University, Laurentian University in Canada, and the University of the South Pacific in Fiji. I noticed at the time, a serious lack of publication opportunities for researchers and professional in the field, and decided to "do something about it"! The journal which has now been publishing for these 27 years, (part time at the start), eventually created a fascinating and very rewarding second career for me.
Improving the chances for small business success.
Of course, as mentioned earlier, business entrepreneurs and job seekers need advice and assistance. The new organisation Vision Manawatu will have an important role to play here. I am encouraged with the way business itself (which ultimately must run business!) has taken the initiative, and together with Local Government as a willing partner, is driving this new opportunity for the Manawatu. Hopefully Central Government will also come on board to assist Vision Manawatu, especially with the recent demise of the Business Development Board. It is very important that this organisation succeed, and is able to provide excellent assistance to those who are motivated to create their own future and the future of the Region.
The objective of Vision Manawatu is more jobs and more prosperity, which is also a very good objective for an Employment Summit such as this!
Contact:
Councillor Bob Stewart
Phone and Fax (06) 355-5736
Email: stewart @journal.co.nz
City Councillor Web Site: http://www.journal.co.nz/councillor
www.wairaka.net/ubinz/IR/1999summit/employ03a.html