Support for youth employment in Waimakariri
From local democracy reporter David Hill:
A Waimakariri youth employment advocate is pleased to see more opportunities for young people.
Former Waimakariri Youth Council co-chairperson Ellie Tizzard is ‘‘excited’’ to hear the Waimakariri District Council has joined the Mayor’s Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ) programme.
‘‘It is very exciting. I think it will be a good opportunity for local youth and it has worked well in the Hurunui.
‘‘It will be a nice addition to the district.’’
Tizzard has been working with Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey on a youth employment project since 2020 as a Covid-19 initiative.
The idea came out of the Waimakariri Youth Development Strategy, which the youth council worked on in 2018.
The following year Tizzard completed a youth employment survey while serving as Mr Doocey’s Youth MP.
She was recently invited to join the Youth Futures North Canterbury initiative, a partnership between local education providers, the Ministries of Education and Social Development, and the Waimakariri District Council.
‘‘There are so many people who have identified an issue, so it just needs to be narrowed down going forward as a long term sustainable thing.’’
Tizzard and Doocey launched an initiative on Labour Day last year to promote youth employment over the summer holidays.
A website was launched which linked to resources and tips for both employers and young jobseekers: linktr.ee/youthemploymentwaimakariri.
‘‘I’ve had quite a few businesses say they have seen the promotion and seen the information provided alongside it,’’ she said.
‘‘In a way it has made them a bit more confident to take that next step.’’
The pair now planned to roll out a continuous campaign to help connect employers and young people.
They have connected with Enterprise North Canterbury and Tizzard was keen to work alongside the new Waimakakriri MTFJ co-ordinator when appointed.
While figures for the December 2022 quarter were not available yet, the national unemployment rate in the September quarter was 3.3%.
Waimakariri’s unemployment rate in September last year was just 2.4%
The Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment’s Labour Market Force fact sheet, produced in December, found the ‘‘underutilisation rate’’ across New Zealand was 9% for the September quarter.
The underutilisation rate combined unemployment with under-employment - those in part time work, but seeking full time employment.
Tizzard said a high underutilisation rate at a time when employers were struggling to find staff ‘‘highlights a disconnect between jobseekers and employers’’.
‘‘These are pretty surprising statistics in this kind of environment with employers struggling to find people.’’
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Poll: Should drivers retake the theory test every 10 years?
Drivers get where they need to go, but sometimes it seems that we are all abiding by different road rules (for example, the varying ways drivers indicate around a roundabout).
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1.9% Other - I'll share below
Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
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