Minister for Social Development and Employment Louise Upston says everyone who is supported by an employment case manager will be eligible to receive a work-readiness needs assessment to look at possible barriers to their employment such as education, transport, addiction, health, and childcare issues they may have.
The assessments will also look at issues such as reading and writing skills, how comfortable the person is with technology and history with the justice system.
The case manager and job seeker will be required to come up with a personalised plan including an agreed set of actions and a timeline for their completion.
Upston said the Ministry of Social Development was now offering phone-based case management to 10,000 people and they would be the first to get an Individual Job Plan.
From early 2025, the plans would be available to all people on benefits who are in Employment Case management - a total of 70,000 job seekers.
"Many of those who are at risk of long-term welfare dependency have complex backgrounds and may require more help to address all the issues affecting their employability," she said in a statement.
Job Plans would look at someone's previous work experience and availability to provide them with "a proper assessment of their needs and the structure they need to address these risk factors", she said.
Anyone who failed to meet "work-testable actions" agreed with their case manager could face sanctions through the new Traffic Light System, she said.
"Job Plans will dig deeper than someone's previous work experience and availability, giving them a proper assessment of their needs and the structure they need to address these risk factors."
