A programme that has helped more than 170 Te Puke and Maketū rangatahi (young people) into work and education opportunities is winding down locally after changes to government funding.

Run out of Local Government New Zealand, the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ) sees mayors from around the country working with a local coordinator to connect businesses with young people aged 16-25 who are looking for work or training opportunities.

In Te Puke and Maketū, local organisation COLAB has taken the lead on delivering the programme over the past two and a half years, alongside Western Bay of Plenty District Council Mayor James Denyer.

MTFJ coordinator Davina Edwards has supported rangatahi to get ready for work and into jobs by connecting them with training services, following up on connections with businesses and working with other local providers and the Ministry of Social Development.

A large part of the programme has been supporting rangatahi to get their driver licences, a must in rural communities like Te Puke and Maketū.

However, changes driven by the Ministry of Social Development mean that from July 1, MTFJ will move away from focusing on rangatahi who are not in employment or training, to people on Jobseeker Support.

“The change has prompted COLAB to reevaluate our role in the programme. We feel the time is right to step away from direct delivery of the programme, as the focus on Jobseeker Support recipients aligns more to the local Work and Income office and their role,” said COLAB coordinator Chris Johnstone.

“We’ll continue to look for opportunities to support our rangatahi who are not in employment or training.”

Denyer expressed gratitude for the work that Edwards and COLAB had put into the MTFJ kaupapa.

“The work Davina has done over the past couple of years, supported by COLAB, has been of huge benefit to our rangatahi of Te Puke and Maketū. Being able to work alongside COLAB to leverage local business connections and create opportunities for rangatahi to get their driver licences, access career advice and support, and ultimately get into employment has been hugely rewarding,” he said.

“We see a lot of value in removing as many barriers as possible to enable young people in our communities to get into employment or training.”

Denyer said he remained open to restarting the programme when the time was right as it made a real difference for the youth in our community.

He also explained that the council’s participation in MTFJ’s Tuia Programme – a one-to-one mentoring and leadership programme for a Māori person in the district - would continue unaffected.