Community Max
If you have a project that will benefit the community or the environment you may be eligible for help through Community Max.
About Community Max
Community Max provides a wage subsidy for up to 6 months for each young person aged between 16 and 24 years that qualifies. It also helps with the costs of supervision and training.
Community Max projects could include renovating public buildings like marae or public spaces, or improving the 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 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.
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.