PowerUp 2.0 features local women making leaps and bounds in high-value jobs and future-focused careers. Credit:
ChristchurchNZ
Over the next 30 years Christchurch’s aerospace, tech, health tech, and food, fibre and agritech sectors are set for
high growth. To take full advantage of this potential the sectors need to ensure a strong pipeline of talent with the
right skills and qualifications. Currently women are under-represented in these sectors, particularly in the high-value,
STEM-focused engineering roles and the PowerUp program returns this October to raise awareness of these opportunities.
The 2023 campaign builds on the success of the previous PowerUp program which ran throughout 2022 and was created in
response to the skills shortage challenges created by the compounding impacts of Covid border closures and strong
economic growth. The program was aimed at the approximately 20,000 underemployed and under-utilised women in the
Canterbury workforce to help reduce the impact of the workforce gap.
“ChristchurchNZ is charged with attracting the best talent to the city as well as building employment pathways into the
city’s growth sectors. Through our market research we knew there was a huge opportunity to support more women into
employment immediately post-Covid and so the program featured a campaign alongside a series of events delivered in
partnership with Canterbury Tech to support and encourage more women into employment and particularly into the tech
sector,” says Karen Haigh, ChristchurchNZ’s Talent Specialist.
Last year’s program involved networking events, workshops and one-to-one coaching all designed to support local
underemployed or underutilised women into roles, particularly in the tech sector. Participants in the program sang the
program’s praises.
“Hearing from women in different career stages and on different paths is a great way to look at your own situation and
opportunities with a fresh perspective. The PowerUp program built my confidence and helped me land a new job outside of
myarea ofexperience. I’ve since landed a new job in data science and I’m excited to be in a field growing rapidly,” says
Lindsay Tallot, a participant from the first PowerUp campaign.
Julia Sothman is a Spacecraft Mechanical Engineer at Dawn Aerospace and PowerUp 2.0 advocate. Credit: ChristchurchNZ
“Most useful was the 1-to-1 coaching session I had. This session was instrumental in helping me to take all the varied
insights I had gained and make them personally relevant to my career and life goals. I left that session feeling more
certain in what I wanted to achieve and more confident I could achieve it,” says Tallot.
Another local participant was Paola Ochoa, who arrived in New Zealand without knowing anyone. After attending last
year’s PowerUp events, she learnt critical skills like writing a CV tailored for New Zealand employers, and to approach
recruiters looking for her skill set.
“PowerUp gave me the confidence to go out to look for the job I wanted. Being Latin American, I thought my auditor
experience could not be used abroad. PowerUp proved to me I have the tools many employers are looking for, I simply
needed a little help around crafting a CV, and who I should send it to. I now work in audit, and it is all thanks to
PowerUp,” says Ochoa, another successful participant in the first PowerUp program.
In its second year, PowerUp seeks to raise awareness of the opportunities within the city’s growth sectors and the
high-value, purpose-led careers available – such as green space transport and tech to support the earth science
community to access minerals underground with minimal impact, which are being developed here in Christchurch.
“There is a myriad of roles within high-tech and future-focussed sectors, but many positions are not well understood by
the general public. This lack of awareness and knowledge compounds the problem – without the knowledge, people are less
likely to apply for jobs in these areas, less likely to study them and less likely to encourage the next generation into
them and the tight supply of new talent limits growth within the sector,” says ChristchurchNZ Innovation and Business
Growth General Manager Martin Cudd.
“To continue the city’s economic growth, it is important we engage our workforce to build pathways into our industry
clusters. There is an opportunity to support, inspire and educate residents and particularly women on the availability
of high-value jobs within our industry clusters. It is these clusters that have future growth potential and will be the
foundation of better economic outcomes for the city,” says Cudd.
The PowerUp campaign showcases women already spearheading change in these sectors and working on problems that have
global relevancy. PowerUp 2.0 launches today and features a range of events and workshops to power up the careers of
women in Christchurch and Canterbury.
For more information visit: http://powerupyourcareer.co.nz/
ABOUT CHRISTCHURCHNZ |
ChristchurchNZ is the city’s sustainable economic development and city profile agency. Our purpose is to stimulate
sustainable economic growth for a more prosperous Christchurch. Find out more at ChristchurchNZ.com