The Press

Yet more jobs on line at MBIE and Oranga Tamariki

- Anna Whyte

More jobs – including graduate roles – are likely to be cut at the mega-ministry MBIE, while some Oranga Tamariki staff are beginning to be told if their jobs could be cut.

The Press understand­s at least 20 graduates at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment were told their jobs were ending early as of July. Some started only in February. The roles are fixed term contracts and they aren’t entitled to redundancy payments.

Meanwhile, The Press also understand­s staff at Oranga Tamariki are starting to be told of proposed redundanci­es today.

Other business units at MBIE are being told of proposed redundanci­es, with dozens of jobs involved, The Press has been told by sources.

As well, The Press can reveal MBIE’s first round of redundanci­es cost millions. Ahead of the second round of voluntary redundanci­es, MBIE’s Richard Griffiths said 138 people have had redundancy payments since December, costing about $6.3 million.

“These payments include a mix of outcomes related to our initial voluntary redundancy process, as well as stop work notices and formal change processes.”

Almost 50 net roles have been proposed to be disestabli­shed within its buildings branch.

In addition, almost 20 voluntary redundanci­es have been accepted within the unit and almost 60 vacant roles are being closed, The Press understand­s.

It follows The Press revealing MBIE had already disestabli­shed almost 300 roles this year, while within its digital, data and insights group, about 35 net roles could go, and 30 roles in its informatio­n and education group – a quarter of the team, which sits within the engagement and experience unit.

In the first three months this year, 286 roles at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment were removed through “a variety of actions” that included voluntary redundancy, stop work notices and removing vacant positions.

MBIE deputy secretary of corporate services and finance Richard Griffiths has already confirmed that restructur­ing may result in a reduction of staff, and said the number was not confirmed “until after final decisions have been made and this change process is still subject to feedback from our people”.

MBIE’s first round of voluntary redundanci­es resulted in 111 people leaving and another 87 roles were disestabli­shed as a result of certain projects being stopped.

In 2023, there were 6282 full time equivalent roles at MBIE. Almost 2000 of those were inspectors and regulatory officers, and 1200 were described as informatio­n profession­als.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from New Zealand