About EEL

The Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (FRST) is a New Zealand Crown agency responsible for investing approximately NZ$450 million of public money per annum in science and technology research for the benefit of New Zealand. On 22 March 2007, FRST announced that it had accepted a proposal under its Building an Inclusive Society portfolio for a five year research programme on successful education employment matching by youth in New Zealand. The Research Programme on Education Employment Linkages (EEL) formally commenced on 1 July 2007 with the publication of its first Research Report describing the programme (download PDF).

EEL brings together four senior social science researchers origninally from three national research centres in New Zealand. The research is being guided by an external reference group appointed by seven central government agencies. EEL is also supported by four international scholars with relevant expertise in education, sociology, indigenous studies and economics. Further details on this Research Team can be obtained by clicking here.

Previous research by members of the Research Team (and by others) has identified serious problems experienced by young New Zealanders preparing for employment. The government is investing heavily in helping young people make education-employment choices. Despite the scale of that investment, and despite its strategic importance for individual well-being and the country's national goals, there has previously been no research programme in New Zealand devoted to understanding and improving education-employment linkages by young New Zealanders.

The EEL research programme will produce new knowledge about how formal support systems can best help young New Zealanders link education choices and employment outcomes. This new knowledge will be used by policy advisors to design better systems of support, and will be used by practitioners for better implementation of current and future policies. This will lead to improved education and training choices by young people, equipping them more fully to participate in sustainable, high quality and productive employment.

Research Aim and Objectives

The aim of the research programme is to answer the question: How can formal support systems best help young New Zealanders make good education employment linkages to benefit themselves, their communities, and the national economy?

To achieve this aim, the programme has four core objectives, each headed by an objective leader: