Youth Link supports students’ transition to workforce

Youth Link supports students’ transition to workforce

A new programme is to be trialled in Hastings which will support local young people as they make the transition from school to employment.

Hastings District Council has partnered with the Youth Futures Trust to pilot Youth Link, an innovative programme which will support young people when they leave school. School leavers will be contacted on a regular basis to check on their progress into further study or employment and encourage them to make positive decisions on their future.

Hastings District Council approved $54,679 of Contestable Grants funding to establish Youth Link at their meeting on 19th November 2013 and this initiative builds on similar programmes which operate in Otorohanga, Nelson/Tasman and South Auckland.

Councillor Sandra Hazlehurst says “Hastings Girls and Karamu High Schools have agreed to take part in the trial and we are hopeful that Flaxmere College will also join. Youth Link will maintain contact with school leavers, supporting them with their employment or training choices and making referrals to potential employers where appropriate.”

Sandra Hazlehurst says “Youth Link will also reinforce the message that the community cares about our young people and wants to support them to become active participants in our community.”

“The programme will assist in making it as easy as possible for our youth to move from school into employment, by maintaining on-going contact. We don’t want any young person to be left without opportunities for participation in the workforce”

Deputy Mayor Cynthia Bowers says “Initially, Youth Link will maintain communication with young people from when they leave school until the age of 20, ensuring that no-one is left without guidance. The finish age of 20 will be reconsidered once the pilot begins and we have gathered information on whether our youths require longer term support.”

Cynthia Bowers says “The project will require a part-time Youth Link staff member who has the ability to connect with young people and build connections within the district.”

Youth Link will maintain contact with young people who are engaged in a tertiary training programme outside the district on an annual basis while those who are involved in tertiary training within the district will be contacted each quarter. Contact will also be maintained with school leavers who find employment which includes a training component while those who are unemployed will be contacted on a more regular basis to encourage activity toward employment or training.

Background Youth Futures is a regional response to youth unemployment, lead by the HB Youth Futures Trust. This approach is modelled on the work of the Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs, implemented in Otorohanga and has the aim of ensuring that 100% of our young people are involved in education, training or employment. 

The Hawkes Bay Youth Futures Trust was set up at the beginning of 2013 to further develop the Youth Futures initiative by building connections between employers, young people and their whanau, schools, training providers, agencies and iwi.

ENDS

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