Rotorua Mayor hosting Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs
Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick will welcome mayors from across the country on Friday [14 February] when she opens a
meeting in Rotorua of the national group Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs.
The Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs is a nationwide network of mayors which originally began in 2000 with seven mayors and
now has a membership of 66, comprising the mayors of all New Zealand cities and districts. It is focused on improving
youth employment and engagement in local communities. The group also holds quarterly meetings in Wellington with
government ministers and officials.
Mayor Chadwick said she was proud to be hosting this week’s meeting of the taskforce as she had a personal interest in
achieving stronger levels of youth employment and more training opportunities.
“During the recent local government election campaign I promised to roll my sleeves up and work closely with young
Rotorua people. I want them to have hope about the future, and to feel confident that they can gain the sort of skills
that will lead to genuine work opportunities.
“The Mayors’ Taskforce is a great initiative which fits neatly with our council’s Rotorua 2030 vision and in particular
our more immediate priority around jobs and community growth.
“For the Rotorua district we are looking at growing education, training and employment through a new programme called
‘Employment Choices – He Huarahi Hou.’
“The local Excel education programme is another strand of our collaborative approach aimed at giving our young people in
Rotorua real hope for the future.
“I’m certainly looking forward to working with the Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs this week, and sharing ideas and
experiences that will help us build a more positive future for young people here and across the country,” said Mrs
Chadwick.
[ENDS]