Mayoral taskforce nails it for job seekers
Three years into his apprenticeship, Te Ahurangi King, 21, says without support from his local Mayors Taskforce for Jobs he’d be behind in his studies, and probably still using his boss’ tools.
The former Ōtorohanga College student said he always wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a builder. He got his chance to take up an apprenticeship with DF Building Solutions and has not looked back.
With youth unemployment on the rise in the region, young people have been turning to the Ōtorohanga Employment Hub and the Mayors Taskforce For Jobs (MTFJ) which can now boast of putting more than 50 local youth through apprenticeships since 2020.
According to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, 13% of young people between the ages of 15 and 24 years in the Waikato region are not in education, employment or training. This is higher than the national average of 12.1%, but a lot lower than the Bay of Plenty and Northland, which sit at 16.2% and 16.3% respectively.
King said he was approached by Ōtorohanga Employment Hub staff, who help facilitate the MTFJ programme locally, and placed into an apprenticeship with local builder Dave Foster.
“They helped me get about $2500 worth of tools, and that helped heaps. I’d probably still be using Dave’s tools if they didn’t.”
King said he leapt at the opportunity to go on a three-week Outward Bound course paid for by the taskforce. “I love that stuff ... and afterwards I felt a lot more confident, it was pretty amazing.”
He said Wednesday evening study sessions run by the hub were also invaluable and allowed apprentices to catch up on their book work and get through their courses faster.
King’s boss and DF Building Solutions owner Dave Foster said he hoped King would stick around and help train his next apprentice.
“I’d only just started my own business and taking a school leaver on was a shock, but it’s definitely worked out ... Te Ahu’s like family now.”
He said the MTFJ programme and Employment Hub staff had been easy to work with and he’d do the same again.
“The Outward Bound course was awesome for him. He came back almost a completely different person. Before, he was a bit reserved and quiet and would hardly speak to clients, which in this business is quite important.
‘‘Having an organisation like that is bloody awesome, knowing that they are there to help out – someone to call, someone to have a talk to if you’ve got any problems – makes my life easier,” Foster said.
Ōtorohanga mayor and MTFJ chairperson Max Baxter said in the past four years 6000 people had found jobs through the taskforce across New Zealand.
“You can be nothing but happy, the outcomes have been so good across the country. But it comes down to the quality of the people who are running the programmes who offer the pastoral care and support which is tailored to the individual, as well as the support they get from their employer.
“When that support is offered it’s a surprise as to how many jobs are actually available,” Baxter said.
He said there was an “initial amount of scepticism” of the taskforce, but the “good stories soon got around”.