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Waikato Mayor Jacqui Church says the Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs initiative is looking for
motivated young people and visionary employers across the district.
motivated young people and visionary employers across the district.
“Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs started in February 2000 in Christchurch. We’ve been supporting it through a subscription for quite a number of years, but we’ve never actually taken that step to be proactive with youth in terms of taking up the opportunities through Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs … or the partnership with the Ministry of Social Development.”
The Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs is an initiative that helps young people aged 16-25 into jobs, distributing over $14m straight into communities across the country.
It runs advocacy projects and partners with best-practice organisations to promote the economic well-being of young people. Partners include the Ministry of Social Development, Tuia and Outward Bound.
“This is our first part-year [actively participating] and we’re looking at who in our communities can provide opportunities for our youth and potential employers and linking them up,” Church said.
“Even though it’s not our main wheelhouse as council, we’re based on infrastructure and roading and things, economic development is across all aspects of our communities. Therefore, the focus on targeted enhancement and helping one person at a time benefits a person, a family, a community, and then a district.”
The General back of house and trainee baker Windsor Nugg is one of the first young people in the Waikato district to gain employment through the Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs programme.
The General owner, Michelline Martin, said the initiative was fantastic for young people,
employers, and the community.
The initiative enables each community to learn from each other as they each strive to achieve the Taskforce’s Vision: That all young people under 25 be engaged in appropriate education, training, work or positive activities in their communities.
Any employers interested in being a part of Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs can contact Takitini,
Waikato District Council’s economic development team.
