Survey finds region’s youth keen to enter workforce

YOUNG people in Southland are eager to enter the workforce as soon as possible, according to statistics from a Southland Youth Futures (SYF) survey.

Close to 84% of high school pupils surveyed said they ‘‘already worked or wanted to work’’ which SYF coordinator Allison Beckham said was very promising.

A total of 667 pupils were surveyed across 14 Southland secondary schools, with 246 (37.96%) saying they had a job and 298 (45.9%) saying they wanted work.

It is the first time a survey of this size has been held in Southland since 2013.

Mrs Beckham said the figures went against the perception teenagers were unwilling to work.

‘‘We were very encouraged by the figures, and the other thing that encourages me in particular is that some of the employers that I work with tend to think that 14 to 15yearolds are a bit young to be dealing with. This survey I think vali dates that view that it’s worth talking to teenagers . . . they’re still thinking of what they’re going to do and they still want to work. We’re really happy with that.’’

Other figures of note from the survey were the number of respondents who intended to get their learner’s driver’s licence in the next three years (80.56%), as this was often seen as a major skill required by employers in the region, Mrs Beckham said.

It also revealed farming and agriculture to be the most soughtafter profession, followed by sporting and fitness and health related professions.

Government worker/politician, retail worker and social/ community worker were the three least soughtafter professions.

Mrs Beckham said she believed the survey was the first of its kind in New Zealand, and had received a large amount of interest from other regions at the Career Development conference in Wellington in October.

The figures obtained from the survey will be passed on to a range of employers in the region to help assist in recruiting potential employers, as well as being used to encourage hiring pupils after school or during the holidays.

They will also be used to coincide with the release of a workready passport by SYF in 2019.

The passport would enable pupils to fill in a variety of different skill sets about themselves as well as ‘‘develop the knowledge and skills required by employers’’, Mrs Beckham said.

This would then be passed on to potential employers with the goal of helping pupils of all abilities gain employment regardless of their qualifications.

So far six schools in the region planned to implement the passport when it was released in January, with more schools being targeted to join, Mrs Beckham said.

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED Future teaching . . . Katharine Holdsworth, a food process technologist at Fonterra’s Edendale dairy factory, shows year 10 pupils from Qouthland Girls’ High Qchool some cheese quality control techniques during technology during a Qouthland Youth Futures employer talk earlier this year.

Anton Hoffman, a driver trainer with Tapanuisased transport company Road Transport Logistics, helps pupils navigate a sig rig driving simulator as part of the Qouthland Youth Futures exhisit at this year’s CareerFest Qouthland event earlier this year.

Gore suilder Neter Goodger shows year 10 pupils from Gore High Qchool some of the hightech equipment used in the trade during a Qouthland Youth Futures employer talk earlier this year.

Daniel Whyte (left) and Allan Walter, of Invercargillsased software development company Digital Qtock, help year 10 pupils from Qouthland Girls’ High Qchool experience virtual reality technology during a Qouthland Youth Futures employer talk earlier this year.