Te Mote Marsh, left, from Waihī has secured a plumbing apprenticeship with Plumbing First Paeroa after reaching out through Gr8 Job Hauraki.
Te Mote Marsh, left, from Waihī has secured a plumbing apprenticeship with Plumbing First Paeroa after reaching out through Gr8 Job Hauraki.
The Mayors Taskforce for Jobs is proving successful in the Hauraki District as dozens of young locals have recently gained employment.
The Mayors Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ) is a nationwide community, developed in collaboration with local councils and Local Government New Zealand to engage young people aged 16-24 in employment, education and training.
In the Hauraki District, it was rolled out under the brand Gr8 Job Hauraki.
In the 2023/2024 year, Hauraki District Council was granted funding of $315,000 to drive local employment opportunities.
A report received by the council’s community partnerships committee meeting on Wednesday showed the initiative had exceeded expectations.
The council had the annual target of placing 38 young people, aged 16 to 24 into employment by June 30. So far, there had been 40 fulltime placements.
In the report, community employment liaison Julie Stephenson said she had seen an “encouraging increase” of youth starting apprenticeships after their placements, after having very few apprenticeships last year.
“Thirteen of our placements [started] apprenticeships or cadetships.”
One of those is Te Mote Marsh, of Waihī, who secured a plumbing apprenticeship with Plumbing First Paeroa, after reaching out to Gr8 Job Hauraki. He said he was looking for “sustainable mahi”, after finishing a fixed-term position on the ports.
Gr8 Job Hauraki supported Marsh to connect with his now-employer, Cam Frater, set up a meet and greet, and undertook work experience.
Frater said: “He is easy-going and just fitted in with a bunch of good fellas.”
Ashton Foster (left) from Hikutaia and Jackson Walker (right) from Waihī started employment with Pinnacles Civil in January through Gr8 Job Hauraki.
Civil engineering cadets Ashton Foster and Jackson Walker are now on a similar path to Marsh, with Foster and Walker starting employment with Pinnacles Civil in January.
Pinnacles Civil, named after Pinnacles Peak in the Coromandel ranges, deals with design, construction and maintenance of roading and structures.
Both Foster and Walker finished school at the end of last year and said they were excited to have an opportunity to “earn while they learn”, made even better by the fact they could do it locally.
They said they were looking forward to their future prospects in the world of engineering.
The Mayors Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ) was established in 2000 when a group of seven mayors from around New Zealand gathered in Christchurch.
The initial group included former mayors Garry Moore of Christchurch, Derek Fox of Wairoa, Sukhi Turner of Dunedin, Jenny Brash of Porirua, John Chaffey of Hurunui, Jill White of Palmerston North and Tim Shadbolt of Invercargill.
