New youth-focused self-employment initiative starts in Whanganui

Lift Business Whanganui's programme facilitator Fonofili Tafilipepe and co-ordinator Leighton Kotuhi-Brown are excited to get the enterprise off the ground. Photo / Bevan Conley

A social enterprise designed to help youth with employment and becoming self-sufficient has started in Whanganui.

Lift Business Whanganui launched to a packed room at its Victoria Court premises yesterday.

Focusing on supporting development of life skills and self-employment, Lift, which started in Hawke's Bay, focuses on working with disadvantaged young people, predominantly Māori, from their initial business idea.

Lift Social Enterprise director Jody Foster said they primarily worked with young, unemployed kids who had an idea they wanted to try to get up and running.

"There was just a bit of a gap. We do quite a different approach. They come in as customers because they want something different. Our focus here is on supporting their own business ideas. They can come in and we coach them through the whole process."

With workshops, modules, coaching and support systems all available, the idea is to utilise the natural talent of rangitahi to get their chosen career or pathway off the ground.

Lift Business Whanganui co-ordinator Leighton Kotuhi-Brown said they approached business holistically, taking into account life skills and physical exercise.

"Throughout the two weeks you do a lot of modules that give you an understanding about who you are and get to know your own communication style with others.

"We do a lot of modules around the brain and mind to understand why and how they are behaving and thinking and they can improve."

A free two-week programme called Bounce Life Skills starts on May 10, with Foster encouraging any interested rangatahi to attend.

"We're going to be encouraging young people to come on in and just get to know the kaupapa and what it's all about."

Lift Business Whanganui is based in Victoria Court at 92 Victoria Ave. For more information, visit https://liftyouthemployment.nz/