Workshop upskills LTW facilitators

Among the 22 Licence to Work facilitators who attended a workshop run by Community Education Trust (COMET) Auckland youth employability director Shirley Johnson (third from left) are Suzanne Blacklaws (left, Lytton High), Simon Murphy (Gisborne Boys' High) and Cynthia Sidney (Tolaga Bay Area School). Picture by Rebecca Grunwell

Licence to Work facilitators got the chance to upskill at a training workshop in Gisborne.

Run by Community Education Trust (COMET) Auckland youth employability director Shirley Johnson, the workshop was attended by 22 current and potential Licence to Work (LTW) facilitiators.

“The facilitators come with a wealth of knowledge, as well as experience and understanding of the difficulties that our rangatahi face in terms of employability,” said Licence to Work Tairawhiti project manager Karen Fenn.

“The workshops are about adding further depth to this knowledge and collectively working together to make a difference.

Ms Johnson delivered a new edition of the LTW programme. It included a wellbeing focus where it is recognised many of the young people facilitators come across may have challenges that could impede gaining employment.

“It is exciting to see the growth of the programme and increase in the number of rangatahi participating in Licence to Work,” said LTW Tairawhiti programme coordinatory Gill Higgins.

“I look forward to engaging further with providers and employers to support positive employment outcomes.”

In attendance at the workshops, held at the Eastland Rescue Helicopter Trust building were facilitators representing Gisborne Girls' and Boys' High schools, Te Karaka Area School, Matapuna Training Centre, Tolaga Bay Area School, Campion College, Eastern Institute of Technology, Youth Services, Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou and Turanga Ararau, as well as Lytton High School who are new to the LTW programme this year.

The LTW programme is a cross sector, business-led initiative, designed to respond to business and industry concerns that young people may not be developing the soft skills needed to succeed in the workplace.