Sarah Lubbe, 17, never really liked school and was eager to get into the workforce early.

“School wasn’t my thing,” she said. “It was the classroom for me, really. I just hated being inside.”

Before shifting to Rangiora from Tauranga last year, Sarah had been working on a dairy farm, which she enjoyed. But after becoming a mother, the hours didn’t align with daycare, so she was forced to look for something else.

That’s when Sarah was referred to the Waimakariri District Council’s Mayors Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ), a national programme supporting young people into work placements.

MTFJ Waimakariri Facilitator Elizabeth Trevathan was able to support Sarah with her CV, a tool kit, work boots and warm work clothing, as well as helping her to get her full driver’s licence.

Elizabeth said Sarah was really determined to be working and was not put off by physical work and cold mornings. She put Sarah forward for a job with Peter Pearcy, a local builder who was looking for a labourer to help him box and prepare floor slabs for residential housing.

“Peter was looking for someone with a good attitude that would work hard and get the job done. You can teach skills but it’s much harder to teach attitude or motivation. I was confident that Sarah would impress if she got a chance to show what she could do.”

After quickly proving herself during some work experience days in April, Peter offered her a full-time job. The hours have allowed her to drop her son off at daycare before work starts at 8am and pick him up again 5pm. Sarah says she just loves being on the tools and has learnt so many new skills in a short space of time.

“It’s insane – I can nearly do a whole floor slab by myself!”

Peter said he was happy to give Sarah a shot and is now keen to support her with her building apprenticeship.

“She’s got a very good attitude,” he said. “I think young people like Sarah just need a chance nowadays. I was given a chance and I just like to give other people a chance.”

Sarah is one of 46 young people in the District who, in the last 12 months, have been placed into either permanent full time, casual, seasonal or part-time roles as part of the MTFJ programme.

Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon said he’s really proud to see the results of the programme since the Council joined it at the start of 2023.

“It’s really good to see it in action and see how it’s working and providing a new opportunity for Sarah, and hopefully it’s something that she’ll be able to further either with Peter or another builder in time.”

“The programme provides a really good opportunity for young people to be matched to learn a skill and a trade.

“It’s great for our local employers. I’m really proud of the programme we’ve got here and the work that Elizabeth is doing with the programme and the number of placements there’s been. It’s clear that there’s a real demand and need for it.”

MTFJ Community Employment Programme is a nationwide partnership between Local Government New Zealand and the Ministry of Social Development that has a strong focus on getting young people into sustainable employment.

The Council is always looking out for employment or work experience opportunities for young people, and more information can be found on the Council website.

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