Driver's licence - passport to employment

Published in Hawke's Bay Today
By Kelly Annand (Connecting for Youth Employment), Matt Broderick (Police) & Shari Tidswell (Hawke's Bay District Health Board)

Increasing the number of people with a driver' licence is a pragmatic way to help improve pathways to and through employment.

The link between being a licenced driver and the ability to get a job is highlighted by Ministry of Social Development information that shows a Work and Income job seeker with a driver's licence is seven times more likely to get a job than someone without a licence.

So it's not surprising that increasing the number of licenced drivers is an important action in Matariki - Hawke's Bay Regional Economic Develop Strategy (HBREDS), a long-term plan to grow jobs across the region, increase household incomes and raise Hawke's Bay economic performance into the top quarter of New Zealand regions.

Matariki - HBREDS is a collaborative effort between iwi and hapu, the business sector, central government agencies and local authorities. Supporting people to get a driver's licence is also a collaborative effort - there is much to be gained for individuals and the whole community when we work together to achieve this goal.

The introduction of the graduated driver licence system in 1987 created multiple challenges to becoming a legally qualified driver.

Today, one of the barriers for many whanau is the cost of a licence - at least $338.20 when you combine all the test fees together, or more if you don't pass each test the first time.

Learner drivers can't sit practical tests with a traffic officer any more, as testing is now delivered through contracted providers such as AA and VTNZ, and communities such as Wairoa and Central Hawke's Bay now have to travel to Dannevirke, Hastings or Napier to be tested. In addition, the opportunity to practise driving is essential for success, yet practice requires access to a registered/warranted car and a driver who has been fully licensed for at least two years. Not everyone has this access or can afford lessons from driving instructors.

To overcome these barriers the police, social service providers, Hawke's Bay District Health Board, local councils, Eastern Institute of Technology, Te Puni Kokiri, Ministry of Social Development and other agencies are working together.

As a result, some excellent initiatives are now happening in our communities and schools.

In Wairoa, groups like Tairawhiti Rural Education Activities Programme (REAP) and Wairoa College are delivering driver licensing programmes around the district.

In Central Hawke's Bay, the community took action after it noticed that the removal of practical driver testing some years back contributed significantly to the number of people who didn't have a full licence. Those most affected were the area's most vulnerable, including young people, those on a benefit or those in the court system. A working party - led by Connecting for Youth Employment and supported by Community Police, EIT's Waipukurau site and local volunteers - set up a community drivers licence programme with mentors and professional driving instructors to support the goal of all young people leaving school with a full driver's licence.

Many others around Hawke's Bay share this same goal, and are taking practical steps to make a difference.

The Ministry of Social Development, Te Puni Kokiri and the Hawke's Bay Regional Council are supporting programmes with funding, while community providers like Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga and the Howard League are supporting people with challenges to get a licence.

Police are also providing education sessions. Senior Constable Chris Leppien is one local officer working with schools to help students pass their learner driver's licence. A learning resource, funded by Te Puni Kokiri and set up by Alice Drake at William Colenso College in conjunction with the Hawke's Bay Police, is proving helpful. This work is a great foundation for the future, and there is real scope to work more closely with secondary schools to further assist students to get their learner, restricted and full licences.

Safety on our roads, reducing the burden on the justice system and increasing employability will help ensure Matariki - HBREDS delivers on its aim to have every household and every whanau actively engaged in, contributing to and benefiting from a thriving Hawke's Bay economy.

Driver's licences play an important role as a passport to a better life. Access to employment, reducing risk on our roads and reducing offending in our community is a critical outcome for us all.

Kelly Annand (Connecting for Youth Employment), Matt Broderick (Police) & Shari Tidswell (Hawke's Bay District Health Board) are part of the Matariki - HBREDS project group for Action 2.4 of the strategy, to improve pathways to and through employment. 

28 August 2017

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