Workforce Development

Workforce Development is a building block for inclusive Eastern Bay of Plenty growth Toi EDA provides a backbone role for workforce development in the Eastern BoP. Our mission for this mahi is cross-sector effort to grow the workforce for good jobs in Eastern Bay of Plenty industries.

We started in 2014 with a focus on employment for local people in two key growth industries in the Eastern Bay (kiwifruit and aquaculture). Our Workforce agendas now embrace all industries, and are especially targeted on opportunities emerging from the Eastern Bay Regional Development Project 2018.

We:
- actively support cross-sector locally-led efforts to create new pathways into work, and recognise that each rohe or community has it’s own leadership, and ways of doing things.
- convene and support regional-level activity where this can add value, or create efficiencies of scale to attract new programmes, services or resources to the Eastern Bay.
- connect across regions and nationally with others focussed on inclusive growth, to learn, and to share our learning and results.

Our Key Activities:

Information: We generate and share information to raise awareness and aspirations, inform collective effort and action, and monitor our progress. Understanding what jobs are available, where and when, and what skills and training are needed is vital for planning education and training pathways, and pastoral care. It’s also important to know who’s available to train or retrain, and identify gaps where we may need to attract locals “back home” or to campaign for people to relocate here from other parts of Aotearoa or overseas. This information also informs planning for transport links, accommodation and other community infrastructure which is vital to sustainable and inclusive growth in EBoP.
See the links below under Research and Reports, Resources.

ToiEDA LinkUp: Our programme called LinkUp – Connecting Rangatahi, Education and the World of Work supports schools to share more with tamariki and rangatahi about our EBoP industries, jobs and careers, and improve transition rates into training and work.

LinkUp:
- creates opportunities for students, teachers and school leadership to learn about EBOP industry and jobs kanohi ki kanohi and online
- produces resources with and for schools - helps forge new connections between schools and industry

See more about LinkUp here

Youth Employability – Licence to Work Programme: Toi EDA co-ordinates this programme regionally, and in 2018 three of our six secondary schools, and one government agency were actively involved. In 2019 the number of EBoP sites implementing YEP Licence to Work will double.The well-researched industry-led programme grows work readiness through teaching seven core competencies for work, which students then apply and receive feedback on from supervisors in both voluntary work placements and industry work experience placements. The programme can be woven into school and post school training programmes, and also helps grow employer “youth readiness”.

Pathways to Work Plans: We support communities to develop coherent local plans along with employers, education and training providers, Iwi and Māori, community members, local government. These Plans have both short and long-term horizons and create co-investment priorities for interested stakeholders like central government and philanthropy. They help build local understanding, relationships and innovation, and minimise the risks of being wholly dependent on centrally-led policies, programmes and funding streams which tend to be very short term. These Plans often include a focus on rangatahi who are NEET (not in education, training or work) as well as all age groups. See the Kawerau Pathways to Work Plan (November 2017) as an example.

Addressing Barriers to Participation in Education, Training and Work: Convening and supporting effort to address common barriers to participation in education, training and employment. Driver Licensing is our current priority as it’s an essential prerequisite for 70% of jobs in Aotearoa, and essential for our Eastern BoP communities where there is so little public transport available. We’re keen to see all schools supporting Class 1 Driver Licensing, and accessible training available across all EBoP communities, and we’re collaborating with other agencies keen to support this aspiration. We’re also advocating for investment in a new EBoP based Driver and Operator Training Centre, including Freight and Logistics. There is already a chronic shortage of appropriately qualified personnel, and EBoP is facing catalytic growth across four industries which all heavily depend on moving people and goods.

Other roles include:
- supporting networks and training among the organisations and people providing pastoral care and employment support to people entering/re-entering the workforce
- encouraging and supporting employer-led innovation to attract and retain people who have been NEET into their workforce
- helping attract investment into our EBoP Workforce Development priorities, eg into locally-led plans, and region wide initiatives

Research and Reports:

- Eastern Bay of Plenty Regional Development Report October 2018 - Eastern-Bay-of-Plenty-Regional-Development-Report-October-2018
- Summary: Eastern Bay of Plenty Regional Development Project - Eastern Bay of Plenty Regional Development Project Summary Tuawhenua Provincial Growth Fund
- BoP Labour Market Strategy 2018 Bay of Plenty Labour Market Strategy 2018 to 2021
- Eastern BoP Labour Market Labour Market Update September 2016
- LinkUp Student Survey 2018 - Background and Results LinkUp-EBoP-Student-Survey-2018-Background-and-Results
- Work, Skills and Education Infographs for Ōpōtiki, Kawerau and Whakatāne, 2018
- Feasibility Study for a new Eastern BoP system connecting rangatahi and youth, education and employment Feasibility Study for career linkup programme in Eastern Bay of Plenty
- Ōpōtiki Accommodation Baseline 2017 Ōpōtik District Accommodation Baseline Report May 2017
- Youth Employability Programme – Licence to Work http://www.cometauckland.org.nz/wawcs0160400/Youth-Employability.html
- Kawerau Pathways to Work Plan ISK-Toi-EDA_Kawerau-Pathways-to-Work-Planning-V1_Nov-2017.pdf
- The Case for Change – Driver Licensing Challenge – Auckland Co-Design Lab 2018 The case for change
- Upper North Island Key Sector Trends to 2015 And Labour Demand to 2020 Summary Report
- EMA Employers Survey 2018 EMA Employers Survey 2018

Resources

- EBoP Careers and Jobs on our Doorstep Poster (Sept 2018) Career and job opportunities on our doorstep poster
- EBoP Rangatahi and Young People talk about their Jobs and Careers Career showcase - videos
- PATH Facilitation – a practical process to build aspirations and plans http://www.pathplanningtool.co.nz/
- Community Driver Mentoring Programme Guide https://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/community-driver-mentor-programme-guide/

Updates and Media Releases

Updates
- LinkUp Quarterly Update
- EBoP YEP Licence to Work Update
- Workforce Development Quarterly Update

News
- Road Safety Programme joins partnership
- HEG Business Excellence Award boosts Ōpōtiki College Pride and Commitment
- Award celebrates school-business collaboration
- Last FEW Days Left for EBoP Secondary Students to share their voice re: the world of work!
More media releases can be found here

Contact:

Barbara MacLennan - Workforce Development Manager, Toi EDA
Email barbara@toi-eda.co.nz

Link Up