Recent Pacific migrants living in south and west Auckland, who might be struggling to find work as a result of COVID-19 or who are keen to progress in their careers, are eligible for free personal coaching to help them in their search.
“Pacific Work Connect is a free government service to help recent migrants get ready for the New Zealand job market by giving you personal guidance from local career consultants,” says Tertiary Education Commission Chief Executive Tim Fowler.
“At the end of the programme you’ll know how to identify what skills you have and how to build on them, and you’ll be equipped with job searching and networking strategies that will help you in the New Zealand employment market.
“With COVID-19 affecting employment, having a better understanding of how the job market works and how you can present yourself and the skills you offer, could give you an advantage that helps secure a future for you and your family.”
The programme includes 10 hours of workshops and one-to-one career coaching.
The first part of the programme is one to two workshops with other people like you, who are wanting to improve their job prospects. In these sessions you will learn about New Zealand’s workplace culture, job searching tips and interview skills. This is followed up several one-to-one coaching sessions with a local professional career consultant. You are also provided with post-programme support.
Workshops are delivered face to face or online via video conferencing. The consultants introduce careers using the Kakala model from Konai Helu Thaman, to map out your individual career journey. Ownership and leadership of making a Kakala career journey is driven by clients; the consultants’ role is to support, guide and connect to appropriate community services.
To be eligible for programme you have to be a recent migrant from the Pacific who has been in New Zealand for five years or less and living in South Auckland or West Auckland. You could already have a job but want to move to something new, or you could be unemployed and looking for work.
You have to be able to work or study in New Zealand because you have one of the following:
› a Skilled Migrant, or Partner of a Skilled Migrant Visa
› a Student Visa and studying at Level 7 or above (if you are completing a PhD, you are eligible during your studies, all other students must be within the last three months of their study), or Partner
› a Samoan Quota Visa or Pacific Access Category Visa (including principal applicants, partners and adult children)
› New Zealand citizenship from the Cook Islands, Tokelau or Niue.
For more information on Pacific Work Connect go to www.careers.govt.nz/work-connect/pacific-work-connect or visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pacificworkconnect.
Source: Tertiary Education Commission
