What a year, new premises and more events

The Porirua Youth 2 Work Movement ended 2022 with a bang; celebrating the achievements of the year and more employment opportunities for young people, welcoming new business partners on board and recognising the outstanding achievements of young employees.

Jacqui Edwards, Youth 2 Work Workforce Development Manager says 2022 was a big one for the organisation which moved into new premises at 3 Cobham Court Porirua in November.

“We could finally hold face-to-face events with certainty and we continued to support more young people into work, with their training and learning opportunities and to obtain drivers licences.

“Towards the end of the year we started to see employers gaining confidence, especially the employers that partner with us, and actively giving our young people opportunities and offering jobs. It’s so rewarding for us to see that happen,” she says.

New partners for Porirua Youth 2 Work

“Our end of year event was such a feel-good occasion and a great opportunity to welcome out two new partners who have agreed to work with Porirua Youth 2 Work; Tatauranga Aotearoa Stats NZ and Mitsubishi Motors NZ,” says Jacqui.

“Census is really topical right now – we’re coming up to Census time and they are really keen to raise participation rates of all New Zealanders but in particular among Māori and Pacific Islanders.

“Tatauranga Aotearoa Stats NZ wanted to collaborate, and we suggested the best way to do that was to come on board as a partner so we can work together to support their goals. We’ve been having a lot of fun with them and it’s great to be partnering with an organisation that has similar values,” says Jacqui.

Mitsubishi Motors NZ is a well-known Porirua business that has been interested in partnering with Youth 2 Work for years but Covid got in the way, says Jacqui.

“2022 was the year for them to take the leap and formally support what we’re trying to do. We are really happy to formalise this – in the past they have employed two young people from us – they are an absolutely great employer and we are chuffed about them agreeing to partner with us,” says Jacqui.

Tyshah Holmes, Mitsubishi Motors NZ HR Executive says as well as its commitment to providing quality vehicles and service to all of Aotearoa, Mitsubishi is committed to participating in quality community engagement at a local level. “Our partnership with the local Porirua community through the Youth 2 Work Movement and Partners Porirua is an example of that commitment. Building relationships with local organisations who support rangatahi as well as providing employment opportunities for them is a great way for us to be involved.”

Tyshah says that through this partnership, Mitsubishi Motors NZ has had the privilege of hiring young people for very diverse roles within the company.

“We’re proud to have been able to give them the chance to work with us, and we are rewarded in seeing them grow and develop their skills. But what’s even more remarkable is how they positively impact our company culture.

“I’ve noticed the rangatahi have naturally brought out the tuakana-teina dynamic within our company. They inspire our experienced employees to step up as mentors to provide guidance and support to our young talent,” says Tyshah.