12. Question No. 12—EmploymentDr SHANE RETI (National—Whangarei) to the Minister of EmploymentQuestion No. 12—Employment12. Dr SHANE RETI (National—Whangarei) to the Minister of Employment: What employment programmes or policies has he undertaken in response to the coronavirus outbreak?Hon WILLIE JACKSON (Minister of Employment): Tuatahi tika me mihi ki a koe to that member. I congratulate him on his position. The first part of our response was to support workers and small-business owners to keep people connected to their employment: over $10 billion in wage subsidies to over 1.6 million Kiwis and more than $890 million in small-business loans to over 52000 businesses to help with cash flow. We were in a strong position in terms of employment as we went into COVID19 with the lowest general and Māori unemployment rates in a decade. We must protect those gains as much as possible. As part of our response I have direct oversight of five critical programmes that will help people particularly young people and Māori find jobs learn new skills and tackle other barriers in terms of employment. We're expanding He Poutama Rangatahi our community-driven employment programme; we're investing in Māori apprenticeships Māori trades training; we're strengthening our jobs and skills hubs in Auckland; we're working with and listening directly to our communities by establishing regional skills leadership groups; and we're expanding the very successful Mana in Mahi.Dr Shane Reti: Is programme completion an outcome measure for these programmes and if so what are the targets for completion?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: In terms of the completion rates we have had much success in that area—much success. We have an 81 percent success rate in terms of Mana in Mahi—81 percent success rate in terms of Mana in Mahi. That's 81 percent of young people not returning to the unemployment benefit. So of course completion rates are important.Dr Shane Reti: What are the completion rates for the other four programmes that he's named in the House today?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: In terms of He Poutama Rangatahi we have 3000 young people who are involved in employment or in training. As I said in terms of Mana in Mahi we have an 81 percent success rate. Māori trades training has not yet started but it will be very very successful. Our jobs and skills hubs are working very well because they work in terms of the community and our regional skills hubs also are working very very well. All in all things are going very well in this area. We haven't given up like the Opposition did after the global financial crisis when unemployment spiralled to over 15 percent.Kiritapu Allan: How will increasing investment into He Poutama Rangatahi improve employment outcomes for young people in response to COVID-19?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: By investing $121 million over four years with He Poutama Rangatahi we'll continue to fund community-driven programmes that work with otherwise hard to reach young people who face multiple barriers to employment and training. This programme up to now has been based out in the regions but we'll be moving this programme—still working in the regions where I work with the Hon Shane Jones but now moving this kaupapa into the cities. History shows us that young people are more strongly affected by economic crises particularly young Māori Pacific people women and disabled people. These groups face difficulties getting employment but also difficulties accessing training and education. He Poutama Rangatahi programmes can help them overcome these programmes. This is a programme we're very proud of. The Opposition talked about it when we came in three years ago but never ever rolled it out. Our communities have benefited so greatly and it's of course just a shame that COVID-19 came along.Dr Shane Reti: Did he take any new employment programmes or policies to Cabinet during the nearly four weeks of alert level 4 and if so what were they?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: We had programmes that were already in front of Cabinet. Those programmes have already done the business are already well established. So in terms of new programmes the only new programme that was put forward was the Māori trades training programme that we're hoping will be a big success and the Opposition should support also.Kiritapu Allan: In light of all the discussions around the impacts of COVID-19 on Māori how will investing in Māori apprenticeships improve employment outcomes for Māori in response to COVID-19?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Māori have made great strides in the skills and employment outcomes in recent years despite what the Opposition did to them over the previous nine years and they need to be protected. Prior to COVID-19 we had seen the lowest unemployment rates for Māori in over a decade. So we must protect those employment gains we've made and ensure Māori emerge from this crisis stronger than ever. That's why Budget 2019—oh Budget 2020 I should say—[Interruption] Oh that was really funny eh? Oh right OK—must be desperate if you found that funny. But the Māori Apprenticeships Fund will empower Māori entities to take on and support apprentices such as through group trades training schemes to protect recent improvements in Māori skills and employment and strengthen the Māori-Crown relationship. Our people are looking forward to the next few months and although things are tough there's a lot of optimism out there that they will form partnerships with a Government that cares.Dr Shane Reti: Of the $100 million coronavirus funding he announced on 20 March to redeploy workers due to coronavirus how many have been redeployed?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: I'll come back to you with that number.