The Jobs Budget

22 May, 2020

The focus is on sustaining existing jobs, job creation, job training and retraining. To support this, Budget 2020 allocates funds to infrastructure investment, business support, housing development and construction, an environmental jobs package, and a trades and apprentices package.

Job creation, training, and retraining

In some sectors, it is hoped to generate activity creating new jobs. Other sectors will see a jobs exodus. People will need to retrain, either for restructured businesses or moves to other sectors. Budget 2020 addresses this with:

• $5b for construction activity on 8,000 additional public and transitional homes. Public confidence in the Government’s capability in this area has taken a hit. It is yet to be seen whether they can meet this goal.
• $1b to create 11,000 environment jobs (including regional projects, biosecurity, weed and pest control, and additional DOC jobs).
• A $1.6b trades and apprentices package (including support for businesses to keep their apprentices, free apprenticeships and training in critical industries, increased enrolments in tertiary education and $50m for Maori Apprentices and Trades Training).
• $400m for a Tourism Sector Recovery Plan, recognising this is the first stage for a sector deeply affected by COVID-19 with a lot of uncertainty ahead.
• A $3b contingency boost for additional infrastructure, specific projects to be identified via the Infrastructure Reference Group, in partnership with local bodies and the Provincial Growth Fund.