Te Arawa opportunity for Crystal Matthews

DIRTY WORK: Crystal Matthews is inspired after graduating from the Te Arawa Lakes Trust Employment and Training Unit, and getting her hands messy is just fine. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Crystal Matthews credits a trade programme offered by Te Arawa Lakes Trust for giving her a new lease on life.

The 17-year-old dropped out of school last year and was unsure of what to do next when she saw the Te Arawa Lakes Trust Employment and Training Unit calling for enrolments.

"I was sitting at home bored when I saw this ad in the paper. At the start I was more wanting to get out of the house and meet people but I started to really enjoy it and look forward to it each day," Crystal said.

With the help and support of tutors Peter Morrison and Joyce Tutaki, she completed the year-long course.

The training unit was part of the trust's aim to promote within the iwi the educational, spiritual, economic, social and cultural advancement of Te Arawa and its whanau and meet some of the needs of the wider Rotorua community.

The free courses were for 16 to 18-year-olds and offered them an opportunity to gain a national certificate towards employment skills, entry to the automotive trade at levels one and two and for participants to gain their NCEA in mathematics and English.

"It's helped me to figure out whatIwant to do and improve my employment skills. I studied automotive and I want to now complete the next level and be able to study it at Waiariki [Institute of Technology]," Crystal said.

"I want to be a mechanic, I like getting my hands dirty, finding out what things do and fixing them. If I hadn't done it I would probably be a bit lost ..."

"The tutors made me feel like a family and made you welcome and that's what kept me wanting to go back every day. But I thank those [who signed the deed of settlement] ... it's given me the opportunity to do this course."