Providing residential training for young people
In the 2018 calendar year there were 800 participants in Limited Service Volunteer (LSV [31]) programmes at Burnham Military Camp in Canterbury and Motu Moana Camp in Blockhouse Bay, Auckland. The programme will expand to 1,240 places by the end of 2019 and 1,600 by 2020.
In 2018, 80 percent of participants successfully completed the programme and 50 percent moved off benefit within 16 weeks of completion.
Riwhia Te Wairukuruku Poutu (left) with her employer, Maurice Windle
T&G Global (formerly Turners and Growers) in Hawkes Bay takes a “no holes” pastoral care approach by doing whatever it takes to support people so they are successful in the workplace and in their lives.
The approach encompasses a broad range of innovative recruitment, training and employment initiatives, many led by Labour Manager Maurice Windle in partnership with MSD. At the core is an organisational culture of developing, mentoring and sustaining the workforce – while T&G grow apples, they really grow people.
One of T&G’s many success stories is Riwhia Te Wairukuruku Poutu. Riwhia was employed as part of the sole parent SEED (Sustainable Employer Employee Development) industry partnership in April 2018. Since then Riwhia has gained full-time permanent employment with T&G, a certificate in Horticulture Level 2, and a NZ Certificate in Agriculture Level 3. She also received pastoral care including the provision of a T&G house for herself and her tamariki when she experienced a housing crisis. Riwhia is now mentoring a young Mana in Mahi wahine and passing on the T&G culture of fostering the growth of people.
Footnotes
[31] LSV is a free voluntary six-week residential training programme run by the New Zealand Defence Force on contract to and in partnership with MSD. It is targeted at 18- to 24-year-olds who are not currently in employment, education or training (NEET). The aim is to help more young people to start employment or training by improving their self-discipline, self-confidence, motivation and initiative. These personal qualities are developed through the delivery of training within a structured environment.
