Thursday, March 28, 2024

Locals need schools to match jobs

Avatar photo
Reading Time: 2 minutes

The primary sector has some challenges to overcome about how it is perceived before it can successfully engage more of a younger generation in the Opotiki district.

As a district, Opotiki could provide a burgeoning pool of young talent to meet the district’s future growth aspirations in horticulture and aquaculture, with 22% of its population aged between 0 and 14, compared to 19% nationally.

But Barbara McLennan, workforce management for development agency Toi EDA, said there is a need for greater engagement between the primary sector and school pupils if the sector wants to make more of the human resources on hand into the future.

“They do not get into schools early enough and there is a poor perception and reputation for primary industry among many whanau,” McLennan said.

She maintains there is even greater need for engagement by the primary sector, given the absence of specialised agribusiness teachers in the local high school.

“There is a need for employers here to create more excitement about the opportunities they offer. You so often go into a group of students and these jobs are not on the tip of their tongue,” she said.

“There is a need for employers here to create more excitement about the opportunities they offer.”

Barbara MacLennan
Toi EDA 

She acknowledges the one-size-fits-all education system means qualifications and studies are not always well matched to regional opportunities.

To help counter that, Toi EDA has engaged a work exposure programme known as  WE3 continuum.

The system’s three steps involve children being “exposed” to the world of work at age 10-14, “exploring” as 13- to 16-year-olds what may interest them for work, then “experiencing” work from 16-18, in real-world settings.

“Work experience matters, let’s have a go at co-designing some work experience and exploration between industry and local schools, one size will not fit all districts,” she said.

“We could then follow up young peoples’ curiosity so the teacher can be upskilled in helping them further that interest.”

She is excited about the relationship developing with nearby Whakatāne High and the local mussel industry, with the school offering a marine studies course from Year 12.

The covid pandemic has also bought a silver lining with funding from the Ministry for Social Development, targeted specifically at employing more rural young people under 30.

Mayor Lyn Riesterer said all rural areas that have taken up the funding have placed over 1500 young people, and in the past year Opotiki has placed 50 under-30s into new, full-time work.

Total
0
Shares