Record number of jobs on offer at JobFest

Thousands of young Auckland jobskeekers (15-24 years) are expected at JobFest– New Zealand’s largest youth employment event – on 21 September, where they will meet face-to-face with employers offering a record number of job opportunities.

Eighty employers from industries including hospitality, retail, tourism, ICT and construction and infrastructure are taking part, with more than 800 full and part time positions available – the highest number of jobs that have been offered at a JobFest event,

Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) delivers JobFest in partnership with Auckland Council’s Youth Connections and the Tindall Foundation. Auckland businesses, the Ministry of Social Development, Immigration New Zealand, Auckland Transport and Careers New Zealand are also key event partners.

To inspire more young people to think about starting their career path, high profile Aucklanders including members of the Vodafone Warriors and artists Teremoana Rapley and Bill Urale (aka King Kapisi) have been filmed in a ‘letter to my 18 year old self’ campaign where they share their insights looking back to when they were young.

More than 23,000 young Aucklanders (15- 24 years) are not in education, employment and training, representing just over 10 per cent of the region’s total youth population. JobFest was established in February 2015 to address this as part of the Mayor’s Youth Employment Traction Plan.

A new initiative to attract more young people into the thriving construction and infrastructure sector is being launched at JobFest. The interative social media campaign, called #BuildAKL, aims to get 4,000 Auckland young people into the sector.

“It’s fantastic to see the tangible benfits of our young people getting jobs due to the opportunity that JobFest creates,” Mayor Len Brown says.

“So far more than 5,000 young people have attended three previous JobFests held across Auckland, with more than 370 youth gaining employment of more than 30 hours per week “ he says.

ATEED General Manager Business Innovation & Skills, Patrick McVeigh says having a skilled workforce is vital for our economy’s economic and social wellbeing.

“JobFest helps to identify sectors where there are skill gaps – such as the booming construction and infrastructure industry - and helps our young people access those industries and build a career path.

“With Christmas and New Year’s just around the corner, JobFest is an ideal opportunity for employers in retail, hospitality and tourism to address their staffing needs over the busy Christmas season.”

JobFest runs from 09:30am-2pm on Wednesday, 21 September at The Cloud on Auckland’s Queens Wharf. Entry is free.For more information visit www.jobfest.co.nz.

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