Wairarapa youth need 'soft skills'

Workshop finds Wairarapa school-leavers need 'soft skills' like self-management, initiative, communication skills and motivation.

Wairarapa employers told a Ministry of Education workshop last week they would like to see young people equipped with stronger "soft skills" to fill jobs in the region - skills like self-management, initiative, communication skills and motivation.

Ministry of Education Group Manager for Youth Guarantee Arthur Graves, said employers were part of a Community Partnership workshop of more than 50 people in Masterton as part of the Ministry's Vocational Pathways initiative.

He said it was a very worthwhile gathering.

"As well as the two district mayors, we had representatives of the Wairarapa iwi, Wairarapa businesses, secondary schools, training providers, central government agencies and other groups working with the young people of Wairarapa."

He said each year 600 young people in Wairarapa finish school.

"All of us want them to have a bright future. We need to get better at working together in the interests of our young people, so that they get good jobs, or go on to worthwhile further training or study."

The workshop agreed there was a need for a community-driven curriculum that specifically related to the needs of Wairarapa, and that better prepared young people for work and further training.

"Part of it would involve businesses and employers going into schools more and working more closely with students while they are still at school."

He said a subgroup of the Community Partnership will now start work on what the community-driven curriculum would include.

"That would mean talking to some large employers about how to put more emphasis on soft skills in schools, and how young people can begin their work-related training earlier than at present."

"There is a strong commitment from employers, schools, local authorities and others in the area to work more closely together to prepare young people for the world of work."