Prime Minister John Key— accompanied by Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae—opened the Youth Development Unit (North) at Hobsonville, where the Limited Service Volunteer (LSV) course is run in the upper North Island, on 4 June 2010. Aimed primarily at unemployed New Zealanders aged 18–25, the course is a first for the upper North Island.
Official opening
Chief of Air Force, Air Vice-Marshal Graham Lintott is the patron for the first LSV course.
The LSV programme is now a joint initiative between the Ministry of Social Development and the Defence Force, with the express purpose of preparing young people for work.
Mr Key announced that unemployed young New Zealanders looking for direction and discipline will have the opportunity to challenge themselves at the LSV course.
“The focus on discipline, motivation, respect and self-confidence means these young people come out of the course with the skills to obtain jobs and the focus to build more positive lives for themselves,” said Mr Key.
Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says the success stories coming out of the LSV programme prompted the Government to expand its capacity, funding an additional 1,250 places as part of the Youth Opportunities package released last August.
“We’re investing $19.1 million of new funding into LSV courses, putting more than 1,900 young people through the course each year.”
Before the addition of the Hobsonville course, only 720 LSV places were available at the Burnham Military Base. An additional YDU was opened in Wellington in June and the LSV courses started there in May; they are into their second course now.
Each LSV course runs for six weeks and has spaces for 140 trainees. Between now and November 2011, YDU (North) will run nine LSV courses.