Students from Aotea College and Porirua College on their first day of staff induction, flanked by their Pathway Advisors from their schools. From left, Ilse Snyckers (Aotea College), Arno Olivier, Amazon Ross-Hapi, Christian Mata, Vina Keokotavong, Kyle Gardner, Nadia Matehaere Taylor-Edwards (Porirua College). Absent: Senetiane Logologo.
Porirua City Council, in collaboration with Aotea College and Porirua College, is piloting a work experience programme – Mahi Rangatahi.
“Young people have told us that they love Porirua and they’re keen for opportunities to learn and earn here,” says Reuben Friend, General Manager Community and Partnerships. “We listened, and this work experience pilot programme for our youth is the result”.
The Mahi Rangatahi programme was developed based on feedback from local schools on what would be most beneficial to their students. It aims to provide real-world work experience and includes developing a CV, applying for a job and having an interview, as well as the actual hands-on experience of the chosen job.
After the students came in for their interviews, Ilse Snyckers, Pathways Assistant from Aotea College says, “All of the students were buzzing when they left the interview, so thank you so much for making this possible. This has been such a great experience, and for those getting placements the experience continues.”
Six students will now learn what it’s like to work at Council, coming to work one day a week for 10 weeks, to gain practical experience, develop workplace skills and increase their self-confidence.
“Putting children and young people at the heart of our city is a strategic priority for Council, and this programme works towards that goal. We want to provide high quality opportunities across a broad range of jobs, giving students the chance to see a range of work within their chosen field of interest,” Mr Friend says.
Each student has been assigned a mentor who will guide them during their work experience, to make sure they get the most out of it.
“At the end of the term, we’ll get feedback from the students, parents, managers, mentors and career advisors so we can continue to improve the programme, and in future roll it out to include more students from more schools across the region.”
9 Aug 2022
