A group of young people from Porirua colleges are getting a taste of the workplace this term as part of the Mahi Rangatahi programme run by Porirua City.

Now in its fourth year, the Mahi Rangatahi programme provides real-world work experience for young people in Porirua, including developing a CV, applying for a job, having an interview - as well as the hands-on experience of their chosen role.

With term 2 beginning this week, a group of 12 students from three Porirua schools were welcomed by their new mentors.

More schools are now involved with the programme, with a student from Te Kura Māori o Porirua joining Mahi Rangatahi for the first time. Students from Mana and Aotea colleges are also getting a taste of the workplace.

This year’s group of students are experiencing work in a range of teams at Council, including Emergency Management, Communications & Marketing, Arena Fitness, Pātaka Art + Museum, Economic Development, Strategic Partnerships, and Business Technology Support.

Mahi Rangatahi was introduced as a pilot programme in 2022 following feedback to Council from local schools on what would be most beneficial to help their students understand different career pathway options.

"The programme develops each year as we receive feedback from the students about what they’ve thought of their experience working at Council," says Porirua Mayor Anita Baker.

"It’s more than just work experience - the students go through an interview process and after their internship wraps up, their manager provides them with a reference to help them into future roles."

For students or others thinking about potential career pathways, the Porirua Careers Expo is back for 2025, this year happening on Tuesday 13 May, 9.30am-4.30pm at Te Rauparaha Arena.

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