A community employment programme is helping to buck New Zealand’s high youth unemployment rate, by delivering almost a thousand positive employment outcomes over the past eight months.

Run by Mayors Taskforce For Jobs (MTFJ) in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), the Community Employment Programme (CEP) works with 36 of the country’s smallest and most remote councils to get more young people into sustainable employment.

With 987 young people being placed into employment opportunities since July 2024, the programme has already smashed its 12 month target of 888 outcomes. MTFJ Chair and Mayor of Central Hawkes Bay, Alex Walker says MTFJ is now well on track to achieve 150% of their target by the end of the contract.

“This is a fantastic result which is only possible thanks to the hard work of our MTFJ co-ordinators and Mayors who drive this programme, alongside the many businesses and communities who support MTFJ in their regions. We’ve been building this programme for more than five years now and it’s really starting to hum,” says Mayor Walker.

“But the speed in which we’ve reached this target is also a sign of the tough times out there for our young people; there is more demand than ever for our localised employment support.

“Unemployment rates in New Zealand have been on the rise recently, and it’s young people who have come off worst during an current economic turndown. So for MTFJ to fly in the face of this nationwide trend - and succeed in finding employment solutions for nearly 1,000 people - means the programme is doing its job.”

Mayor Alex Walker believes that MTFJ is successful in part, because of the richness of community connection.

“It’s localism in action. MTFJ takes advantage of the connectivity of smaller communities to create an ‘employment pipeline’ made up of strong working relationships via a network of young people, employers and other stakeholders.

“In the current environment where Government services are under huge funding pressures, our partnership with MSD to focus on local work outcomes is more important than ever,” says Mayor Walker.

“Anyone can be taught anything if they have the right attitude”

One employer who has found ongoing success with MTFJ and the CEP programme is Jones & Cole Electrical in Kawerau, who have partnered with MTFJ Co-ordinator Amy Hayes and the CEP Programme since its inception.

Jones & Cole Electrical have three local youths currently on their books; first-year apprentices Raniera Clark and Michael Mitchell, and Jake Young in his third year. And Te Maikoha Paul, who completed his four-year apprenticeship in January, was recently employed by Jones & Cole Electrical as a tradesman.

Director Rebecca Cole says that working with MTFJ gives their business the ability to tap into a network of eager local youth.

“Our ethic is that you must have apprentices to bring on the younger generation. There’s point complaining about today’s youth if you’re not giving them a chance,” says Rebecca.

“Anyone can be taught anything if they have the right attitude. That’s where Amy and MTFJ comes in, she’ll give us young people with a great attitude and work ethic who are open to being taught new things.

“Some of them don’t know if they want to be a sparky yet or not, so we’ll take them on jobs with us to see if it’s something they want to consider before making a commitment.

“Amy helps set the placements up with equipment and PPE gear, and she’s always popping around to make sure they’re happy and balanced. She’s there to provide support and they definitely rely on her.”

Rebecca says that one of the reasons MTFJ is successful in Kawerau is because of the community connection.

“There’s not a lot of employment opportunities in Kawerau. This is a mill town, there’s a lot of trades around the town - especially in forestry - but they don’t tend to take on apprentices. Sadly you see people, young and old, getting laid off often.

“But there’s a great sense of community here; everyone looks out for each other. People know Amy and that she’s connecting our local youth with businesses looking to help their community. Anyone who can afford to take on an apprentice should do it.”

“We want to help these young people see the value in every opportunity”

Amy Hayes has been an MTFJ coordinator for the past four years and is a respected figure in the Kawerau community. She’s successfully placed 44 rangatahi into employment within the first quarter of this financial year, already exceeding the 12-month target of 30 placements. It’s an achievement she proudly celebrates.

“The job market is competitive, but our success in securing placements is remarkable, especially with many businesses being cautious about hiring youth,” says Amy.

“Every job is a stepping stone, and we want to help these young people see the value in every opportunity.”

Amy emphasizes the importance of building social skills and self-belief among her clients.

"While a huge number of our rangatahi face challenges with confidence and social skills, there are still incredible opportunities for growth. We are dedicated to helping them develop essential skills like effective communication and interview techniques.

“Innovative support initiatives, like providing food and creating cereal stations at businesses, have also helped to enhance productivity for our clients.”

Amy acknowledges the strong partnership with Jones & Cole Electrical, which has placed eight apprentices and provided hands-on experience for many others, and the unwavering support of Kawerau District Council.

“Jones & Cole and their commitment to local youth is inspiring. And the backing of Kawerau District Council, particularly the Mayor and the Chief Executive, has been invaluable as we work together to empower our rangatahi and foster a brighter future.”

“I want to take it further in life”

19-year-old Raniera Clark moved to Kawerau about 10 years ago. His first encounter with Jones & Cole Electrical was doing work experience for them while at school. He’s now in the first year of a four-year apprenticeship with Jones & Cole Electrical and has completed an ETCO Elite training course.

Raniera has enjoyed his experience as an apprentice so far.

“It’s been pretty good, I like the jobs and I’ve been learning a bunch of stuff. Like how to be a first-year apprentice, just learning the basics of the job,” says Raniera.

“Being a sparky is something I want to do; I want to take it further in life. Amy [and MTFJ] have helped to place me in the company and given me the tools and gear I needed.

“It’s been tough to find jobs around Kawerau so MTFJ has been really good, they help young people like me to get into the industry and help get them all the stuff they need - as it can be pretty expensive.”

About MTFJ & CEP

Mayors’ Taskforce For Jobs (MTFJ) is a movement of Mayors around Aotearoa who believe in the importance of their youth for the future of their communities and advocate for elimination of youth unemployment. They partner and deliver on a number of initiatives around the country, including the Community Employment Programme (CEP); a nationwide partnership between MTFJ and MSD which delivers amazing outcomes in our rural and provincial communities.

MTFJ is championed by Mayors through a “by local, for local” approach where the coordination and support between youth and employers has been designed to remove the barriers unique to each community. Through LGNZ, the MTFJ movement are able to individually contract local councils to deliver outcomes for youth.

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