Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Unemployed youth get taste of work ethic at Sport Bay of Plenty

By Amy Diamond
Bay of Plenty Times·
14 Oct, 2017 03:00 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Paul Pou, youth team leader at Sport Bay of Plenty, and Stacey Basham, youth engagement programme participant, get stuck into a construction job on Tauranga Waterfront. Photo/Andrew Warner

Paul Pou, youth team leader at Sport Bay of Plenty, and Stacey Basham, youth engagement programme participant, get stuck into a construction job on Tauranga Waterfront. Photo/Andrew Warner

A group of youths who had been struggling to find and hold jobs were working hard yesterday - with help from a local initiative.

Ten men aged 18 to 24 were working on the Tauranga waterfront erecting the Carrus Crystal Palace stage as part of the upcoming Tauranga Arts Festival.

The men are part of the Sport Bay of Plenty youth engagement programme which helps young men and woman learn valuable skills to help them find a stable job.

This was the fifth year the youth engagement programme had run. It takes six weeks to complete.

This was the first time Sport Bay of Plenty had worked alongside the Ministry of Social Development to help youths who were receiving benefits.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

According to Statistics NZ, the Bay of Plenty had an unemployment rate of 4.9 per cent.

The focus of lowering youth unemployment is tackled with lessons on CV writing, interview skills and work placements.

Youth team leader Paul Pou said the programme "was working" as they were seeing a 55 per cent positive outcome with youths who attend the programme.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Positive outcomes could be future employment or returning to education as many of these kids realise they do need more qualifications to get the jobs they want."

Mr Pou said the main focus of the programme was to change the behaviour and attitudes of the youths by teaching the importance of a good work ethic, time management and self-awareness.

"Some had work opportunities before but had blown that so it's good to see their work ethic improving," he said.

In exchange for labour, six of the workers would put their earnings towards their upcoming youth leadership camp on Mayor Island.

Youth engagement participant Stacey Basham was feeling "motivated" as he worked on the construction site on Friday.

He was entered into the programme via Work and Income and said not only did it "lift his spirits" but he felt it was a good way to "get his foot in the door" with employment.

Mr Basham, who had previously done a number of different jobs including supermarket work, said he was keen to find full-time employment and the programme had allowed him to push himself.

"It's good to get out there with the rest of the boys and learn something new," he said.

The workers were on day one on the construction site and the stage was set to be complete in another two to three days.

The 10th anniversary Tauranga Arts Festival runs from October 19-29.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

Eastern BoP mayors unite against council amalgamation

Bay of Plenty Times

'Mind-blowing': Chef's two-ingredient meringue breakthrough

Bay of Plenty Times

One critical, three seriously injured: BoP crash closes road


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Eastern BoP mayors unite against council amalgamation
Bay of Plenty Times

Eastern BoP mayors unite against council amalgamation

They argue amalgamation ignores Eastern Bay interests and priorities.

15 Jul 10:57 PM
'Mind-blowing': Chef's two-ingredient meringue breakthrough
Bay of Plenty Times

'Mind-blowing': Chef's two-ingredient meringue breakthrough

15 Jul 09:44 PM
One critical, three seriously injured: BoP crash closes road
Bay of Plenty Times

One critical, three seriously injured: BoP crash closes road

15 Jul 09:32 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP