Enabling youth to reach their full potential is the aim of the Rotorua Community Youth Centre Trust. To do this, the Centre acts as a ‘one stop youth shop’. Regardless of which service they enter, each young person will get the total support they need. As Jen Murray, CEO, explains, “basically we wrap services and activities around young people so they can achieve their aspirations. If we can’t provide support internally, then we will reach out to external partners.” The Centre has three outcome areas: health and wellbeing; learning and development and employment.
The Health and Wellbeing programme includes a free health service that provides around 8,000 free consultations for young people a year. Young people can get support for a variety of different reasons including contraception and sexual health, mental health, general health concerns, along with social support.
Steve Holmes is the Youth Development Manager:
“Youth Development includes programmes and services to help young people discover their gifts and abilities, gain a sense of achievement, set goals, develop their individual strengths and move towards having a great future. In all of our workshops rangatahi make positive connections – with friends as well as with adult youth workers. Some common feedback is that young people now believe that they can accomplish things and that there are people who believe in them.
“Research shows that young people can increase their self-discipline and self-efficacy through creativity, so we provide workshops on: film editing, PC building, singing and song writing; rap writing; and a radio and broadcasting programme providing a platform for young people to gain confidence and express themselves. There is also a ‘for youth by youth’ radio station and studio recording facilities.
“We run the youth development programmes during the school day and after school so we can cater for young people who are both in school and disengaged. We also run programmes for school groups and alternative education providers, as well as for young people who are not yet in education, training, or employment. This helps them discover new ways of learning and exercise that vital creative part of their brain. Our programmes are proven to reach people who need it the most.
“Creative thinking in decision-making is a valuable skill. ‘Youth-voice’ is important too, and the radio programme is one of our most popular.
“In a normal year we have well over 200 youth engaged in our various creative youth development programmes which usually run over eight weeks. With Covid it has been about half that.
“We also deliver Te Hiringa with Te Waiariki Purea Trust. Te Hiringa is a 10-week programme for 15-year-old youth who are not-enrolled in education. Using a holistic approach and a bi-cultural learning environment with a Te Ao Māori perspective, this programme aims to support the successful re-engagement into education or the transition into further training or employment. Rangatahi are helped to build a vision for their future and be motivated to stay engaged in their learning journey to achieve their aspirational goals. Whānau are actively engaged in the programme.”
In the last quarter of 2021 nearly one in every eleven young people in Aotearoa aged between 15–24 were Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET). Statistics for Rotorua are some of the worst in the country. This is why the Centre provides the Youth Employment Plus – Rotorua service. Leigh Richards is the manager of YEP-R and explains how the Youth Employment Plus service works:
“When a young person walks through the door looking for employment, education or training, they are matched with one of our Youth Worker Navigators. The Youth Worker Navigator supports and empowers the young person by mentoring and coaching them to identify and reach their aspirations, develop their strengths and prepare them for future pathways in education, employment or training. This may include gaining their driver licence, improving their literacy and numeracy, engaging in work experience or shadowing someone working in their chosen industry.
“Young people are supported to develop employability skills that NZ employers are looking for in new staff. They are also supported to achieve goals they have for their mental and emotional wellbeing, physical wellbeing, family and social wellbeing and spiritual wellbeing.
“A Workplace Opportunities Broker matches the young person’s employment aspirations with a ‘youth friendly’ employer. Support is provided to the young person, and the employer for a further six months or longer if necessary.”
Then there is E2E, an Education-to-Employment brokerage service, which promotes vocational education as a desirable pathway, and strengthens connections between local employers, training providers and schools.
The Rotorua Youth Centre Trust is a member of Pūtake Nui, a city-wide collaboration that supports rangatahi to reach their potential. Pūtake Nui has four kokonga or cornerstones: Act Early, Act Together; Rangatahi with Aspirations; Rangatahi Wellbeing; and Rangatahi Centric. Pūtake Nui was developed from the Rotorua Working Together Forum that brings local and central government and community organisations together. Jen Murray explains:
“The Rotorua Pūtake Nui approach is an essential part of our success. No one organisation can support Rotorua rangatahi on their own. We each know what the others do, and we work together in a partnership approach so that youth can be navigated through the system.
“One of our biggest challenges at the moment is not knowing what’s going to happen in relation to employment and job security as a result of Covid. This unpredictability is having an effect on the mental health of young people. We can help with that, and we continue to support them get where they want to be – but the environment is still a challenge.”