Northland holds one of the highest unemployment rates in the country and youth in Kaikohe are crying out for help and opportunity. How will the Budget reduce youth unemployment for Māori?
The Budget has pointed out that its main focus is on jobs and economic growth, two issues that the youth of Kaikohe are feeling the brunt of.
17-year-old Kimberly Savage, Ngāpuhi says, "There's just not a lot of jobs aye it is hard to get a job here really hard and that's the reason you see them out on the streets and stuff."
Although there are limited bridging courses and programmes available to the youth of Kaikohe, the question is, what happens after these courses end?
Youth worker Floyd Wihongi, Te Uri o Hau says, "There's a lot of success in the programs but the problem that I see is that after that 8 week or 9 week stint there's no more connection with those young people."
Paul Wihongi has been acting as an ambulance at the bottom of the hill and says that he would like to see funding exchange hands on a whānau and hapū level rather than iwi and council.
Paul Wihongi, Te Uri o Hau says, "Everybody has a part to play I suppose for me how do we get that putea into the hands of the people who are hau kāinga who have vested interest in not only the young people the whanau hapu and when is."
The new Budget is set to deliver $6 million to youth-focused education initiatives, it is hoped that this investment will benefit youth in the Northland region and nation-wide.