Community Max
Community Max supports the completion of projects that benefit the community or the environment and that would not otherwise be done, while creating jobs for young people.
About Community Max
Community Max provides a wage subsidy for six months for young people helping complete community-based projects.
Community Max projects could include projects such as renovating public buildings such as marae or public spaces, or improving access to local environment such as parks and reserves. It provides an opportunity for young people to build skills and work experience while contributing to the community.
Community Max subsidies are paid for up to six months, and are targeted to help prepare young people for further opportunities in the workforce.
Community Max criteria
To qualify for Community Max funding, your project must:
- be of benefit to the community or the environment
- not displace existing staff or contractors
- be additional to the normal work of the organisation (eg a teacher aide position is generally not additional to the normal work of a school)
- be non-commercial
- be at least 26 weeks in duration and
- provide 30 hours work per week.
A Community Max opportunity cannot be accepted if the employment agreement attached to the job contains a 90 day employment trial provision. If the employer removes the 90 day employment trial provision from the employment agreement, then the opportunity can be accepted on the basis that this is a 6 month opportunity.
Registering a Community Max project
You’ll need to contact the Work and Income Employer Line on 0800 778 008. We’ll need to confirm that your project meets the Community Max criteria.
Payment
Community Max provides a wage subsidy for young people for 30 hours a week. The wage subsidy will be equivalent to the minimum hourly wage, and will cover a total of 26 weeks.
Community Max will also include a training component, which will be funded for up to $1,250 for each young person.
Funding to cover supervision expenses will also be provided where there are four or more Community Max workers employed within your project. This will be paid at $12.50 per hour.
Supervision expenses may include (but are not limited to):
- financial costs to the employer for taking on an additional staff member to provide supervision (this can be a Work and Income client or another person chosen by the employer)
- the cost to the employer for using existing staff to supervise Community Max workers.