Report launch – what it really takes to support rangatahi into quality work
Since May 2012, Auckland Council have been supporting rangatahi into employment through our Youth Connections programme, funded by ongoing support from local boards, Tindall Foundation and The Hugh Green Foundation. This final report on documents the learning and insights of Youth Connections from 2019 – 2023, the period in which TSI and TWI have held the reigns for Youth Connections.
TSI and TWI’s role with Youth Connections has been to seed ideas for change, surface insights that can lead to improved outcomes and disrupt existing ways of working.
This report provides evidence-based insights for government, philanthropy, policy and decision makers on how to support rangatahi into quality jobs, with 9 key findings:
Transaction supply and demand models of youth employment don’t work.
Any job is not a good job. We need quality jobs with good employers offering security, training and progression.
Career and employment pathways need to be integrated earlier into the school system.
Young people need pastoral care to support them in the transition to work experience. They also need role models, networks and connections to help create career pathways and opportunities.
Caring and nurturing relationships are key. The potential for greater positive impact increases over time, through trust and reciprocity.
Māori and Pasifika must work twice as hard as their peers to achieve. Discrimination, inequity and system barriers constrain their opportunities and stifle their potential
Rangatahi don’t suffer from an ‘attitude gap’. There is a disconnect between employer and social expectations of rangatahi and their developmental maturity.
To improve Māori and Pasifika rangatahi employment access and success, employers need help and resources too.
Support works best when community organisations partner with employer and agencies to provide innovative, culturally grounded programmes to support rangatahi.
Read the full report here.
Any questions, contact Sarah Sinnott: sarah.sinnott@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz