Most people would like to work.
Work not only provides a means to a livelihood it also can give purpose and meaning to life and enable self realisation. Even people with significant mental and physical disability often wish to work.
Work, health and general well-being are closely related. Prolonged periods of under employment may undermine health, reduce wealth creation and lead to other forms of social inadequacy or dysfunction.
Nigel Haworth, a labour market specialist from the University of Auckland writing on the rewards of work writes:[1]
'We cannot achieve a more prosperous economy, in which all benefit, fairly without reshaping our workplaces to make them more democratic and consequently more productive.'
The issues are complex and multi-dimensional – classical 'wicked problems'. The available New Zealand evidence suggests that some reshaping of our work places is taking place but progress is patchy and slow,
The march of technology means that mainly the young and relatively disadvantaged are finding it difficult to gain the skills necessary to secure, satisfying employment. Clearly our education system needs to be linked more closely to the realities of a rapidly changing economy and labour market.
Reshaping is required on many fronts but growing youth unemployment is a particularly 'wicked problem' especially for the youth of relatively poor families.
The evidence shows that declining social mobility is troubling aspect of increasing inequality and unfairness in New Zealand.
What steps could be taken to make the job market fairer and to improve employment prospects and experience, especially for disadvantaged youth? What conversations should we be having? What actions should be considered?
What actions could individuals take?
What could communities do?
What could educators do?
What could employers do?
What could local and central government do?
[1] Rashbroke, M (ed). Inequality: A New Zealand Crisis. Wellington, Bridget Williams Books, 2013. Part 4, Chapter 13. The rewards of work. Haworth N.
George Salmond is a public health physician experienced in research, teaching and management in the public health sector. Currently he is particularly interested in health inequalities and in public health and mental health service innovations and initiatives that engage both government and non government organisations.