Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui's economic development agency launches new app to pair employers with talent

By Moana Ellis
Moana is a Local Democracy Reporter based in Whanganui·Whanganui Chronicle·
8 Feb, 2022 01:30 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Whanganui & Partners strategic lead capability Lou Tyson Walker says 50 businesses and professionals have already signed up. Photo / Moana Ellis

Whanganui & Partners strategic lead capability Lou Tyson Walker says 50 businesses and professionals have already signed up. Photo / Moana Ellis

LDR_STRAP

Whanganui city's economic development agency wants to see locals swiping right on a new matchmaking app set up to pair Whanganui businesses with skilled workers.

Talent Connect is the first app of its kind in Whanganui, developed by Whanganui & Partners to connect employers and professionals with the skills they need or have to offer.

Whanganui & Partners, which is funded and follows strategic direction set by the Whanganui District Council, said the app's best feature is that it is exclusive to Whanganui professionals.

Strategic lead capability Lou Tyson Walker said the skills-based app aims to help professionals find their next business partner, employee or gig.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It works much the same as the dating app Tinder," Tyson Walker said.

"You swipe left, swipe right – it's a similar thing but for connecting employers with prospective employees or people wanting jobs done.

"It could be, for example, I've started a new company and I want a website designed. I can log onto the app and look for a website designer to do a bit of contract work. And then I start swiping, based on the specific skills and experience I need.

"It can be used in the same way if you're looking for a tradie – you can see the type of experience, say, a builder has, and whether they're a good fit for the project.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Not only that, but we've got a lot of people in the community who are wanting a change of career or they've got skills that could be used in another industry.

"For example, they may have been building for years or welding, but they've never done boat building. They've got those transferable skills that would allow them to look into, say, marine engineering or other industries."

The free app was developed in conjunction with Whanganui-based IT specialists New Zealand Computing Solutions. It went live last week after a soft launch with internal stakeholders.

Economic development agency Whanganui & Partners has launched a new app to connect Whanganui businesses and skilled professionals. Photo / Supplied
Economic development agency Whanganui & Partners has launched a new app to connect Whanganui businesses and skilled professionals. Photo / Supplied

About 50 Whanganui businesses and professionals have already signed up and the platform is expected to grow quickly.

Tyson Walker said many businesses were looking to fill vacancies in the fast-growing Whanganui job market.

"We know that Whanganui businesses are looking for talent at the moment and we know that we have a population of professionals with transferable skillsets to offer the business community.

"If you drive down Heads Road you can see the signs all over the place looking for workers. I went into a café the other day and the manager was saying 'I've got to get back to you about that app'.

"Everyone I have been speaking to seems to be quite excited about it. Just that initial connection with businesses to say, hey look, these are my skills, can I connect with you, can I have a conversation or a kōrero about how I could possibly match your business and what I need to be able to do to get my foot in the door and explore options with your business."

• Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

'Surprising' lack of property value growth in Whanganui region

Premium
OpinionKevin Page

Kevin Page: Facing fears, finding humour and relief in medical journey

Whanganui Chronicle

Council officers back deconstructing St George's buildings


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

'Surprising' lack of property value growth in Whanganui region
Whanganui Chronicle

'Surprising' lack of property value growth in Whanganui region

However, Pātea has a 4% increase in average property value in the past six months.

14 Jul 06:00 PM
Premium
Premium
 Kevin Page: Facing fears, finding humour and relief in medical journey
Kevin Page
OpinionKevin Page

Kevin Page: Facing fears, finding humour and relief in medical journey

14 Jul 05:00 PM
Council officers back deconstructing St George's buildings
Whanganui Chronicle

Council officers back deconstructing St George's buildings

14 Jul 04:59 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP