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Labour has a proven track record when it comes to addressing skill shortages caused by a decade of neglect under the previous National government.
"Wairarapa is enjoying an economic boom. Sometimes you can't get a tradesperson or a skilled worker for love nor money, and young people in training ease that peak of demand," said Wairarapa MP Georgina Beyer.
"The latest figures* show that the Wellington region alone has over 450 Modern Apprentices, up from 372 at the same time last year.
"Labour established the Modern Apprenticeships scheme because we knew how important it was to get more young people into structured workplace training, particularly in the trades area. And they've been a runaway success; There are now over 8,125 Modern Apprentices throughout New Zealand."
"Labour has pledged to create an additional 5,000 Modern Apprenticeship places during our next term of government, as we strive towards our target of 14,000 Modern Apprentices by the end of 2008. Across the country, nearly 140,000 trainees participated in some form of structured workplace training in 2004 - a 10 percent increase over 2003.
Ms Beyer said everyone benefits from the lift in industry training, funding for which has doubled since the government took office in 1999.
"Labour's committed to getting more people in formal workplace training. We're working toward our goal of 250,000 people in structured workplace training, and we're expanding programmes to get young people into training," she said.
The MP says Labour's promise to extend the successful Gateway programme to all state secondary schools by 2007 will be welcome news for the extra secondary schools in region that will now be able to offer Gateway. Gateway gives senior students in years 11-13 the opportunity to achieve credits in the workplace, contributing to qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework. Students learn the relevance of these skills and gain a pathway into a wide range of vocations.
"It's another example of how New Zealand's moving forward - progress that would be put at risk by National's promise to slash and burn public services," Ms Beyer said.
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