A funding boost of up to $500,000 will help young people in Tairawhiti find sustainable employment and benefit our whole community.

Council was chosen to be part of the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs nationwide Community Recovery Programme this financial year.

The 12-month programme will help at least 50 young people in Tairawhiti into a sustainable employment pathway.

Tairawhiti has around 1300 young people (15-24 years old) who are Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEETs).

Mayor Rehette Stoltz says she was so happy to have the opportunity to participate in this programme as it will make a real difference to our whole community.

“Statistics show we have a real issue here, and that our problem is much bigger than the rest of the country. Twenty per cent of our 15-24-year-olds are NEETs, and we have 93 teenagers under 16 who are not at school.”

“It’s important any employment opportunity for our young people is sustainable and provides them with prospects for the future.

“Part of this programme is supporting rangatahi individually to identify and help remove barriers to employment such as health issues or obtaining the right licences, training or equipment needed to allow them to move into employment that works for them.

“Work was already happening in this space with the various social agencies and groups in Tairāwhiti, led by Manaaki Tairāwhiti (MT), so they are the logical choice to deliver the outcomes of this programme.”

Mayor Stoltz says the opportunity and extra funding came at a perfect time and means this work can now be accelerated.

“This funding creates employment for two new positions within MT to do the mahi and help our young people into work.

“MT has established connections with community groups and organisations such Trust Tairāwhiti, Iwi, the CARE forum, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Social Development, and they will all come together to match up employers with the young people classed as NEETs.”

Mayor Stoltz says Tairawhiti is fortunate to have these established relationships.

“Everyone is already working together and doing the best we can for our community.”

After the first Covid-19 lockdown plans were already in place with the Tairawhtiti Rau Tipi Rau Ora - Covid 19 Pandemic Response and Recovery Plan 2020 – which has identified actions and priorities to support our economic recovery and grow opportunities for our community. This mahi will contribute to the aims of that plan.

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