A programme for improving the employment prospects of youth in the South Waikato region has received another year’s worth of funding.
The WORKit programme, established in 2021, has already placed 25 young people in permanent employment and aims to provide another 50 jobs in the coming year. The programme is aimed at people under 25, however, Paniora Daniels, who spearheaded the initiative, said that they can also help anyone outside the target age range into work.
The majority of jobs secured so far have been in the horticultural and manufacturing sectors, and the organisation has also supported a number of entrepreneurs and sole traders in the region. One of the successful placements is 22-year-old Shayden Teao, who helped establish the new Green Frame steel framing manufacturing plant in Putāruru, which opened in December.
The programme is a collaboration between the South Waikato District Council and the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs, a nationwide network of New Zealand mayors that is focused on employment issues. It is funded by the Ministry of Social Development. WORKit’s community walk-in site is located in the Impact Hub South Waikato in Tokoroa.
