Mayors' Taksforce For Jobs helps Horowhenua youth into work

Horowhenua Mayor Bernie Wanden with the very first group of young people benefiting from funding from the Mayors Taskforce For Jobs.

The who's who of Horowhenua Learning Centre (HLC) rolled out this Tuesday morning to introduce the students doing a course funded by the Mayors' Taskforce For Jobs, which started only last week, to mayor Bernie Wanden.

The presence of the CEO, board member Garry Good, and HLC's employment programme manager Jo Robinson at the meet and greet was a sign of the importance of this particular course to the learning centre, said CEO Patrick Rennell.

The students, eight in total, are highly motivated and while some came straight out of school, a few had been sitting at home for a while. All are keen to find a meaningful local job.

"If I can't find a job I may do further study. So far the course has been very helpful," said one.

While the programme is run by HLC and MSD, the council had been approached for the funding for the programme by the Mayors' Taskforce.

"I am really grateful that they thought of us," said Wanden.

He subsequently turned to HLC to implement the course and find the first students, many of whom came in by referral from other organisations.

He explained the rationale behind the task force to the students and queried them on their backgrounds, motivations to do the course and plans for the future.

"Often it is hard for school leavers to identify what they want to do and where the job opportunities are. Employers do not find employing staff easy either," he told them.

"Doing a course like this gives them greater confidence in you as they can see you have the basics."

The students said the course has been very helpful already, as most had produced a CV and they had talked about their expectations and did team projects simulating a work environment.

Employment programme leader Jo Robinson said HLC offers a wrap-around service to all its students.

"We try and find the right fit but also follow up when they have left to see how they are going and help iron out any problems they may encounter.

"A first job can be very daunting and it is not easy to have to be at work for 30 to 40 hours a week if you have never done that before and the eight weeks at this course gets them started into that regular rhythm."

HLC is hoping to run two more courses this year and the current one has some places left, so any 18-25-year-olds who are not in school, study or employment and would like some help getting ready for the job hunt is welcome to join.

Course leader Michelle Anderson said she will take time to get students up to speed. During the first week of the programme two students left because they had found jobs. The course is free.

The course will help them prepare a CV, set up online profiles, talk about useful things to have such as a first aid certificate, driver's licence, and will take students to various local employers to experience the different types of jobs that are available, from barista to vegetable growing.

"The goal is to get all of them to have jobs by the end of the course."

Contact HLC for more information:, phone 0800 368 1095.