Covid 19 coronavirus: Provincial Growth Fund scheme finds new jobs for Covid-19 displaced workers in Ruapehu

Hari Smith is now a civil engineerng cadet with GHD, thanks to a Covid-19 redeployment fund. Photo / Supplied

Twenty-five people who lost jobs due to Covid-19 have been put into new work or training with the help of a $1.33 million grant from the Provincial Growth Fund.

Ruapehu District Council and community groups have used the fund to get people employed in local roading projects.

The jobs include nine that Ngāti Rangi's Ruapehu Recruitment is adding to iwi-owned Ruapehu WorX, for work on sections of the Mountains to Sea cycleway.

Ruapehu WorX has the contract for this maintenance, and some of the jobs are for rangatahi (young people).

The boost in numbers will give Ruapehu WorX the capacity to bid for other contracts, Ruapehu Covid-19 recovery manager Warren Furner said.

The AgSpec Services company based in Taumarunui has taken on an extra nine people to fell wilding pines growing near roads, then process them into firewood for people in need.

"In this case as well as generating employment the Government's Covid-19 redeployment funding is assisting to deliver environmental and social support objectives," Furner said.

Another seven jobs in road maintenance have been created. Six are with infrastructure and facilities manager Downer, who will train the new staff as road workers.

The seventh roading job goes to Hari Smith from Whakapapa Village. He was working for the Conservation Department and Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, but has been taken on as a civil engineering cadet by engineering company GHD.

That professional career opportunity is an especially exciting outcome of the funding, Furner said.