Jahcey thrives incareerdevelopmentprogramme
In July, Jahcey enrolled in “Mauri Mahi, Mauri Ora” a holistic career development programme supporting 17-19 year old rangatahi in Whangārei.
Unsure what to expect, she was pleasantly surprised that the programme took a te ao Māori approach with a focus on whakawhanaungatanga and hauora.
Jahcey says, “These learnings helped me connect closely with our group and increased my confidence in my culture and myself. We also learnt ironing, cooking, budgeting and completed first aid training.
‘‘The careers and job-hunting section was a big learning curve – learning how to best prepare and plan my career, right through to job hunting, interview preparation and driver licence training. We even attended courses online during lockdown which included licence training and helpful Covid updates.
‘‘I was introduced to Mira through Tawhana (Kaiwhakahaere, Mauri Mahi, Mauri Ora) and we clicked straight away. I work trialled and was soon employed and learning the finer skills of coffee making, food preparation and customer service. Mira was so supportive during the early stages of work, she allowed me time off to attend my licence training, she was patient while teaching me and when times were tough, she gave me time to get things sorted.
‘‘Tawhana continues to support me and Mira with regular check-ups where we discuss everything from home life, work, celebrations, and any concerns we have. This has been a great journey and I would recommend the programme to other young locals.’’
Mauri Mahi, Mauri Ora is funded through He Poutama Rangatahi.
Contact Tawhana 021 414 171 or www. ngaaratonui.co.nz.