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"The
removal of compulsory voluntary work for work-tested beneficiaries
is essential and will restore the value of voluntary community work,"
said Nick Toonen, Chief Executive Officer of the New Zealand Association
of Citizens Advice Bureaux today.
"Our Association has written a submission to the select committee
hearing the Social Security Amendment Bill 2000 strongly supporting
a change that would do away with compulsory voluntary work.
"We
believe that a greater number of organisations will offer volunteer
and community work for job seekers if this Bill goes through," Nick
Toonen said.
"When
the Community Work or 'work for the dole' scheme was introduced
in 1998, we opposed it on the grounds that forcing people to do
voluntary work is a contradiction in terms. We are relieved to see
this issue is being addressed in this Bill.
"We
also welcome the Bill's intentions to simplify the benefit system
and sanction regime, and to improve the one-on-one service that
the Department of Work & Income should be providing job seekers.
"Our
submission is based on the collective experience of clients who
have used the services of our 91 bureaux over the past year, and
of the bureau workers who have provided that service," Nick Toonen
said.
"We
know that people benefit in a number of ways from volunteer work.
Volunteers give an enormous amount to their communities but in return
they get a great deal back. This is because they are offered the
opportunity in a supportive environment to develop a range of skills
and experience that contribute to confidence and self esteem.
"These
include accessing and using information; communicating with people
from many ethnic groups, ages, and backgrounds; computer skills;
and writing reports, press releases, leaflets and other promotional
material. These are all skills that employers are looking for and
many of our volunteers go on to paid employment after working at
a bureau.
"But there is no doubt in our minds that the reason people have
benefited from volunteering for CAB is because they have chosen
to do so. It is the commitment and goodwill of our 2,700 volunteers
that keeps our service alive and handling over half a million enquiries
each year."
[Click
here for a copy of the submission]
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