Young Whanganui job seekers finding success with mayor’s taskforce support

Mayors Taskforce for Jobs programme facilitator Rose Stokes and Mayor Andrew Tripe with Whanganui District Employment Training Trust (WDETT) intern Mania Mason, and WDETT chief executive Sally Rose. Photo / WDC

Eighteen young people have found work in the Whanganui district since February through the Whanganui’s Mayors Taskforce for Jobs programme.

Taskforce programme facilitator, Rose Stokes, said the nationwide central government-funded initiative originally set up 23 years ago is primarily targeted at young people aged from 16 to 25 who are not in employment, education or training and facing barriers in finding employment.

“We have a great relationship with schools, the Ministry for Social Development and all sorts of local agencies connected with young people and they often make referrals but people also hear of us by word-of-mouth,” Stokes said.

“The barriers people are facing in their job search might be dyslexia, autism, literacy issues, gaps in NCEA qualifications or perhaps they’ve just been to a lot of job interviews and aren’t getting any traction.”

Stokes said the programme was tailored to the individual.

“Everyone’s different so when we’re working with someone we look at the person and think about their goals and the best step for them – it’s case-by-case.

“The support we provide might be anything from arranging work experience to help get a foot in the door to employment, encouraging people to achieve missing NCEA qualifications, setting people up with literacy help, or counselling, getting them interview clothes or a push bike or phone; whatever it is that helps them onto their journey to employment and makes their life easier.”

Part of the job is knowing the local business community and other agencies who can support them Stokes said.

“That way we can make sure the employer suits the person, instead of just putting them in anywhere.”

Whanganui mayor Andrew Tripe signed up for the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs in the month after he was elected in 2022.

“I regularly meet up for a conversation with young people who have been placed into employment through the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs and it’s something I thoroughly enjoy – it’s heart-warming to hear how this programme is making such a positive impact in their lives and giving them a leg-up towards a better future. In addition, it is helping our local businesses in a tight job market.”

Stokes said of the 18 people placed in employment this year, 17 have full-time positions and a diverse range of roles have been filled.

“It includes building and plumbing apprenticeships, admin internships, plastering and painting work, hotel cleaning, literacy and numeracy tutoring, factory work, a service station job, barista work, wool pressing, traffic management, and dental assistant work – a real variety of stuff.”