Project offers chance of insight
Hastings District Council candidate gets an inside view of several departments and the process of democracy
Last year’s mayoral hopeful, Waitawhara Tupaea, is one of 25 young people in the Rangatahi ma Kia eke project — a partnership between the Ministry of Social Development, the Hastings District Council, Hawke’s Bay District Health Board, Eastern Institute of Technology and Te Puni Kokiri. under the Matariki Regional Economic Development Strategy.
The project offers an opportunity for young people aged 16 to 24 years who are having difficulty finding work to be employed in valuable project work.
The project aims to develop work/ life skills and on-the-job training while contributing to the community.
Other employment placements have included the Leg Up Trust, Heretaunga Women’s Centre, Hastings SPCA and the Hastings District Council.
It’s the 19-year-old’s first job since finishing at Karamu High School.
His internship role will stretch across the width and breadth of the council with time spent in each department including; the mayor’s and chief executive's offices, Economic Growth and Organisational Improvement, Community Facilities and Programmes, Asset
Management, Planning and Regulatory, Health and Safety, HR, Finance and Emergency Management.
You may recognise Waitawhara’s bright smile from last year’s Hastings mayoral campaign, when he put himself forward as a candidate to give young people a voice.
Waitawhara says he always wanted to get into politics, ever since primary school.
While initially disappointed about the election result, he now hopes by learning and finding his way through the Hastings District Council as an intern, he will be able to serve the community the best he can.
Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst says she met Waitawhara through the Mayoral by-election last year, and they had a couple of meetings at that time to discuss issues facing our district.
“I was impressed with his passion and determination to make a difference”.
Tell us about a typical day in your role.
A typical day depends on the group or department I am part of at the time. A typical day in Maintenance Group is in stark contrast to a day in the offices. In Maintenance Group a typical day would be getting up early and putting on hi-viz to do various tasks in the community.
The commonality of tasks in the offices and on the ground is that I am shadowing an officer in some capacity.
In the offices I research, shadow, attend meetings and observe how the operations of council work and how it translates for the community.
What advice would you give young people struggling to find employment?
There are many barriers to employment. Some of which include mental health, individual circumstances and how society works.
My advice would be to seek help from local community groups or go into our community centres.
What did you learn from standing as a council candidate?
I learnt that it is important to talk about something you believe in. For me it was about compassionate communities.
For me this meant increased accessibility in democracy and a stronger presence of young people in the decision-making process of all forms of government. If the current system wants to succeed then we need young people in the process.
Will you be standing again for the next council elections?
I am still considering it. Nothing is off the table.
What is the best part about your job?
The best part of the job is constantly learning and adapting. It gives me an opportunity to grow and find where my interests lie.
What are your plans for the future?
I am eager to work in Democratic Services.
As a young person, attempting to have some understanding of the democratic process and how it works is essential to meeting the core objective, which is trying to bring more young people into the process.