Palmerston North Employment Summit

The Employment Summit held in Palmerston North yesterday (30 March 1999) brought together the 'glitterati' of the Employment and job creation world from around the country and the region and the Summit was the place to be - according to Steve Maharey, MP in his opening remarks yesterday.

Jill White, Palmerston North's Mayor, in her summing up at the end of the day said that Employment and Unemployment were back on the top of the agenda and many people would be working to keep them there.

While the need to address the fundamental changes taking place in the worlds of work and income was acknowledged, there is still much that can be done to address the here and now.

The establishment of an all trades group apprenticeship programme in the region is likely to be one of the drives to come out of the Summit following the challenge from John Fraser from Auckland, and there was a lot of talk about venture finance, possibly on the Just Dollars model, and the development a local currency.

About 120 people attended the Summit from throughout the country and it is likely to be followed by similar initiatives elsewhere.
 

Ian Ritchie for the Palmerston North Employment Summit Organisers.
 

summit papers: http://www.wairaka.net/ubinz/IR/1999summit/
registration brochure: http://www.wairaka.net/ubinz/IR/1999summit/SummitBr.html

http://www.wairaka.net/ubinz/IR/1999summit/sum.html