Funding to continue Stratford District Council’s (SDC) Workforce Programme has been confirmed for another 12 months, after what’s been a successful year for job seekers and local businesses participating in the programme.

Over the 2021/22 year 47 people have been supported through job placements, training and further education opportunities via the programme, which seeks to provide assistance to people not in education, employment or training and those who have been displaced due to the economic impacts of COVID-19.

Workforce Coordinator Samantha Vega said despite the 2021/22 year coming to an end, June was full of activity. “We had several local businesses receiving financial assistance to either take on a new employee or to retain existing staff during more challenging months.”

“We’re also proud to have supported two young people who had decided school just wasn’t for them, they’ve been enrolled in alternative education to assist in getting the credits required and experience needed prior to entering the workforce,” says Ms Vega.

“This week we celebrated those graduating from the Taranaki Forestry Conservation Course, which is a 17-week programme that educates rangatahi across various aspects of the forestry and conservation industry,” she says. “It’s so inspiring seeing these young people work hard and succeed in something they enjoy.”

The Mayors Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ) initiative has enabled successful connections between local employers and those seeking work across a number of industries, from retail to plumbing and everything in between.

Since starting in 2020, the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ) initiative has supported 113 young people into employment or training in the Stratford district. We’ve also worked with 47 local businesses to help them find local young people for their industries.

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