25May 2020

South Wairarapa District Council is just one of four small councils to be awarded funding from the Industry Partnerships, Skills for Industry – Mayor’s Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ) Community Recovery Pilot, supported by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) and other government agencies.

The Council will receive up to $100K to run a pilot, until 30 June 2020, to deliver employment outcomes for a minimum 30 people who are not in education, employment or training (NEETS) and/or have been displaced from employment under Covid-19.

South Wairarapa Mayor Alex Beijen, who led the funding application’s development, will work with Greytown Ward Councillor Alistair Plimmer, local MSD lead Jamie Kissock, and a variety employer networks to deliver the pilot.

“This funding is great news for our district. It will provide a much-needed opportunity for youth in need of a boost to get into suitable training, employment or education.

“We’ll be working with UCOL, Yeti, REAP, NZ Police, Kurunui College, Wairarapa Economic Development Agency, Pae tŪ Mōkai o Tauira, SWDC Māori Standing Committee, Rangitāne Iwi Governance and Ngāti Kahungunu Governance, to see that this funding reaches those in need and achieves the desired outcomes.”

The funding will be used to directly assist local small-medium enterprises (SMEs) with recruitment, training, wage subsidy support for at-risk youth or initiatives that will enable employment (e.g. supporting SMEs with transport costs). It will also fund a local coordinator, Alan Maxwell of the Wairarapa Whanau Trust, to provide his extensive expertise to supporting youth with being retrained or placed in employment.

The pilot funding was targeted at councils with populations of 20,000 or less.

ENDS

Media contact

Amy Wharram

027 252 2863