Youth work initiative picks up steam
Grace Kahui has a dream of one day running her own restaurant.
For the next three months, the 15-year-old will take her first step to potentially get there, as she learns the tricks of the barista and hospitality trade, as part of a new initiative to help rangatahi like her into work.
The Stratford teen has not attended mainstream school since the start of the year and is enrolled in the town’s alternative education programme.
But since Monday, she has been whipping up lattes and flat whites alongside Anita Oliver, who runs the Flo Jo coffee cart.
Oliver has joined forces with Tūtaki Youth service to offer young people who struggle at school a way to get work experience and skills.
The point of difference for its scheme is that Grace, and others who will take part, will get paid to do so, Tūtaki general manager Nelson Pulotu said.
The programme will be funded for a year, thanks to money available under Stratford’s Mayors Taskforce for Jobs initiative.
Oliver said the reason she put her business forward had been motivated by her background as a social worker, where she often worked with youth.
‘‘A common thing was them wanting to find work but not being able to,’’ she said.
By offering them a spot behind the coffee machine, it gave them a chance to build their skills, and a way for her to give ‘‘practical and tangible support’’, Oliver said.
Stratford mayor Neil Volzke is a champion of the town’s job taskforce, which has received $500,000 in central government funding.
The taskforce is part of a nationwide network that has a shared vision to get under-25s into education, training or work in their communities.
He said that in October alone three young people moved into permanent employment because of the scheme, 13 rangatahi had signed up to take part, joining the 100 already on the books, and three new businesses had come on board.
‘‘It shows there is interest and demand on both sides.’’
A formal blessing of the venture involving Tūtaki and Oliver took place on Wednesday, and was attended by about 20 people.
The coffee cart will be based outside the Tūtaki premises in Juliet St from Monday to Friday, roughly between the hours of 7.30am and 1.30pm.