Waimakariri joins Mayor’s Taskforce for Jobs

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Northern Outlook

By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter

Help is at hand for Waimakariri youth seeking employment.

The Waimakariri District Council has joined the Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs, to support local youth into employment.

The programme has been successful in the Hurunui and Kaikōura districts and a recent change to the population threshold meant Waimakariri was now eligible for funding.

‘‘As Mayor this is an initiative that I will be actively involved in supporting,’’ Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon said.

‘‘I am looking forward to seeing this project commence and I am 100 percent behind it.’’

The programme will be administered by the council’s community team.
‘‘Given the team’s well-established local networks and connections, this is an ideal fit for the role.’’

The initiative was funded by the Ministry of Social Development on an initial six-month pilot.

The council was in the process of appointing an employment co-ordinator to work alongside young people and local employers.

The six-month pilot aimed to get 12 young people into the local workforce, offering a range of support and guidance to help them on their journey.

‘‘The aim of the role is to increase collaboration and add value across the work readiness sector,’’ Gordon said.

The programme aimed to address barriers and misconceptions which limited the ability for local young people to access sustainable employment, he said.

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