Matching young Auckland jobseekers with construction jobs

#BuildAKL matching young Auckland jobseekers with construction and infrastructure jobs

An exciting new interactive social media campaign, #BuildAKL, is launching today (21 September) with the aim of getting 4000 young people into Auckland’s booming construction and infrastructure sector.

Thousands of young jobseekers at JobFest – New Zealand’s largest employment event, which is taking place at The Cloud today (21 Septmeber) – will be encouraged to register for #BuildAKL, which seeks to address a serious skills shortage in the sector.

#BuildAKL has been designed by leading industry employers and Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development (ATEED), an Auckland Council-controlled organisation, to address immediate skills shortages and develop a sustainable future workforce to that can build the infrastructure that Auckland needs.

ATEED General Manager Business Innovation and Skills, Patrick McVeigh, says the construction and infrastructure sector is a key driver of Auckland’s economic growth.

“The government estimates that $18.7 billion will need to be spent on key capital projects in Auckland in the next decade, while 400,000 additional dwellings will need to be built in the region over the next 25 years.”

“With 23,000 young Aucklanders not in employment, training or education, we want to lift the lid on the diverse range of job opportunities within the sector by using social media channels which are popular with under 25 year olds,” he says.

“#BuildAKL aims to attract young Aucklanders into the rapidly growing construction and infrastructure sector industry by connecting them with entry-level jobs, education and training,” says Patrick McVeigh.

Young job seekers will be able to learn more about the construction and infrastructure sector via content shared on Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram. A new website, www.buildakl.co.nz, has also been launched to promote job opportunities in the sector.

Those that want to pursue a career can enter the #BuildAKL competition online before 2 November. Twenty entrants will be selected as finalists following industry recruitment days later in November, sharing their stories via social media to show why they should win a work placement.

Ten competitors will be selected by public vote in December to complete a four week rotational paid work placement in January. The ten winners will share their experience via social media.

Fletcher Building, Auckland’s first Youth Employment Pledge partner, is actively behind the #BuildAKL initiative as part of its commitment to diversity and inclusion by helping young people into work.

Fletcher Construction Chief Executive Graham Darlow says that with the unprecedented scale of infrastructure projects on the horizon in New Zealand there is a huge imperative to also build the workforce.

“In Auckland alone we have the western ring road, the city rail link, the New Zealand International Convention Centre, large five-star hotels and the biggest house construction drive in the nation’s history. The industry needs thousands of new employees to keep up with demand.”

“If we want to attract young people into our industry and businesses, we need to promote our leading-edge capabilities, diverse career pathways, training opportunities and projects in a way they can relate to. We need to talk to them in the way they want – and #BuildAKL is providing that opportunity,” says Graham Darlow.

#BuildAKL will launch at JobFest, which is expected to attract thousands of young jobseekers aged between 15-24 today. A record 800 full and part-time positions are on offer, with eighty employers from industries spanning hospitality, retail, tourism, ICT and construction and infrastructure taking part, and meeting face to face with jobseekers.

JobFest runs from 09:30am-2pm today (21 September) at The Cloud on Queens Wharf. Entry is free. For more information visit www.jobfest.co.nz.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP8S5NbENOE

ends

© Scoop Media