Community Job Coaching Helps 4,000 Young New Zealanders Into Sustainable Jobs

Community Job Coaching, an employment programme to get young people into work, has reached a significant milestone, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says.

Community Job Coaching now has 4000 young New Zealanders enrolled. The programme is showing the value of locally-delivered, tailored job coaching to help young people off benefit and into work.

The Ministry of Social Development launched Community Job Coaching in October 2025.

That is great progress in less than a year. Community providers have helped these young people achieve more than 640 paid work activities, including full-time, part-time, casual and temporary work, while taking part in the programme. So far 290 people have been helped to get off the benefit and into a sustainable job.

One young person in the programme had been on a benefit for two years and was losing confidence and motivation. Community Job Coaching turned that around and he's now working full-time as a tiler. This is great news for that individual.

We have set an ambitious target for 50,000 fewer people on the Jobseeker Support benefit and are investing in programmes like this that not only help shift that dial, but help New Zealanders into jobs, higher incomes and career pathways.

Going on welfare when you’re young is a trap, with modelling suggesting that people who are on the Jobseeker benefit under the age of 25 are forecast, on average, to spend another 20 years of their life on welfare. It’s important we stop that cycle.

Community Job Coaching is delivered by community providers across Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, East Coast, Wellington, Canterbury and Southern regions.

The programme supports 18–24-year-old Jobseekers with up to 26 weeks of personalised employment coaching, helping participants overcome barriers to work and achieve sustainable employment. Participants continue to receive support for up to 12 months after securing work to help ensure a successful transition into employment.

Three new regions will join Community Job Coaching in its second year: Taranaki, Central and Nelson. The addition of these regions will ensure more young people can access tailored job coaching and employment support within their local communities, Louise Upston says.

As Community Job Coaching continues to grow, we remain focused on creating opportunities for young people to gain the skills, confidence and support they need to find and remain in sustainable employment.

The Government's investment in Community Job Coaching will enable up to 10,000 young people to access the service over the two-year programme, helping more New Zealanders move into meaningful and sustainable work.