Minister Louise Upston praises Whangārei trust training youth with disabilities

Taimahi Trust trainee Rory Guiney tells Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston about the services the trust offers, including produce delivered or ordered through click-and-collect. Photo / Denise Piper

Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston is impressed by the wide range of goods offered at Taimahi Trust’s Whangārei store.

The trust aims to provide training and development for people with learning and intellectual disabilities, helping them to get into work.

Trainees learn a wide range of skills including growing produce, making coffee, baking pies and sweets, stocking goods, arranging deliveries and manning the till at the Bank St store.

During a visit on Wednesday when she met a lot of the trainees, Upston said the work Taimahi Trust is doing is “fantastic”.

“What we want to see is organisations that are supporting young people with the skills and the confidence to take the next step into employment, and this does exactly this.”

The organisation is a success story for Northland, which has the highest percentage of working-age population on the jobseeker benefit, 11.2%, compared with 6.6% nationally.

Upston acknowledged Northland has had higher jobseeker numbers than the rest of the country for a long time.

She is holding an Into Work event at Whangārei this evening, so Northland businesses can learn about the services offered by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) to help get jobseekers into work.

The keynote business is Fulton Hogan, which is training and employing 44 MSD clients through a structured learning programme.

“Fulton Hogan are among those providing opportunities for jobseekers, placing more people in Northland than anywhere else in the country,” Upston said.

Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston chats with Taimahi Trust trainee Nikolai Piskulic as he ices biscuits in its commercial kitchen. Photo / Denise Piper

“MSD is making sure it really understands a business so it can link employers with local jobseekers who are the right fit for local jobs.”

Upston, who is also Tourism and Hospitality Minister, also met with Northland tourism stakeholders and said she was excited about the possibility of boosting local tourism.

Northland has aspiration to host more tourists and this will grow job opportunities in the region, she said.

Getting young people into primary-sector careers was another way to address the long-term unemployment rates, Upston said.

“There’s an opportunity to ensure we’re pointing our young people into those careers where the opportunities are, like tourism and the primary sector.”

In addition, Upston – who is also the Minister for Community and Voluntary Sector, and for Disability Issues – visited He Puna Marama Charitable Trust and NorthAble during her Whangārei visit.

Taimahi Trust systems change advocate Amanda Brydon said the organisation is keen to share its recipe for success with other businesses.

The trainees benefit from learning that is structured and also holistic – moving into soft skills like communication and managing relationships, she said.

The trainees also enjoy interacting with customers, Brydon said.

“It can challenge people’s preconceptions and assumptions about what life can be like, and help people shift their thinking about what’s possible for people with intellectual and learning difficulties.”

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.