Video series show ‘youth got skills’

Short videos showcasing youth skills and how they’re relevant in the world of work will premiere on the Ministry of Education’s social media channels in November.

The first of the five weekly webisodes goes live on Friday 1 November at 7pm.

The videos feature students aged 15 to 18 from Manurewa High School in South Auckland and tell the story of how they acquire and apply vital work-ready skills - communication, critical thinking, presentation skills, digital literacy, financial literacy, teamwork, problem solving, time management and creativity - in everyday life activities in and out of school. These activities include being part of a dance crew, being a head girl, leading a kapa haka group, connecting to their possible career and creating a digital book.

Ministry of Education Acting Deputy Secretary Rose Jamieson says the videos show how these skills are developed in situations that employers and youth themselves might not have thought about in the first instance.

"Many young people do have the skills but many of them don’t realise it until someone points out the skills they have to them. They are building the skills throughout their lives, but they just don’t know they are and are not able to articulate these skills to an employer," says Rose.

The videos also feature mentors such as performance artist Rebecca Schoonbeek and Ora Kura Director Tyrone Grace, with employers Air New Zealand, Spark NZ, MYOB, HIP Group and Fusion Networks talking about how the skills acquired by these young people are applicable in their respective industries.

"I’ve always been a big believer that there is talent in all corners of the community. This really helps put a spotlight on those with a great attitude but don’t want to go down the traditional route. This experience restored my faith and showed a way to address some of the biggest barriers to young people," says Tyrone.

Spark NZ Agile Coach, Kelly French, who also features in the series says in a world that is becoming digital first, Spark seek to hire people who are highly adaptable to changing work demands.

"We operate under an Agile business model where our people work in cross functional teams and fast-paced environments. Technology has played a huge role in the business landscape so we ultimately look for people who bring can a forward thinking attitude, who contribute well in teams and who are suited to roles that are always evolving."

HIP Group Head of People Experience Fiona Melrose says when young people spoke about things they’re passionate about, they were able to demonstrate attributes that you don’t always see on paper.

Fiona says employers should "look outside the specifics of job capabilities. Ask young people about themselves and where their passion lies, and align this with the roles you have."

Fusion Networks CEO Andrew Gurr says employers should look further than just academic achievements when looking for talent.

"Put more emphasis on young students’ attitude, their thinking around creativity in terms of wider activities they participate in, and their team learning."

Notes to the Editor

- The videos will appear on the Ministry’s social media channels:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EducationGovtNZ/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/educationgovtnz/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MinEducationNZ

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EducationGovtNZ

ends

© Scoop Media