Social Development Minister Louise Upston announced the new compulsory "Kōrero Mahi - Let's Talk Work" sessions at a Porirua jobs expo on Thursday.
Upston said people who come on to Jobseeker Support would now be required to meet with the Social Development Ministry within a fortnight to decide the next steps.
Those who failed to attend without a "good and sufficient reason" could face sanctions, she said.
"If they're ready to work, they could be helped to apply for a job. If they need re-training or upskilling, they could be referred to a programme that can help.
"These compulsory work seminars will make sure all new Jobseeker beneficiaries get the support they need and understand what's expected of them."
Upston said early intervention was necessary as although almost 190,000 people received Jobseeker Support, just 53,000 of them had case managers at any given time.
"This new initiative follows steps we've already taken to make the welfare system more proactive, which include our expectations about the application of benefit sanctions and new work check-ins for job seekers after six months."
The coalition government has set a target of 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support by 2030.
"We're not prepared to sit back and let welfare dependency get any worse, which is why we're intervening early to get job seekers on the pathway to work," Upston said.
