In the heart of Te Awamutu, a youth service is already changing lives, and now, through its partnership with Careerforce, it is set to make an even bigger impact. Ko Wai Au, a mentoring and advocacy service for rangatahi aged 14 to 24, was born from a dream shared by Gina and Andrew Christie.
After moving to Te Awamutu in 2015, Andrew became deeply involved in the community through sports clubs. It was there that he and Gina began to see a need for a youth service. “We used to say, if we won Lotto, we’d open a hostel and take in all the kids,” Gina recalls. But instead of waiting for luck, they took action and Ko Wai Au was launched in March 2023.
Youth Work Level 4 Apprenticeship graduates celebrate with colleagues at Ko Wai Au
A holistic approach to Youth Support
Ko Wai Au’s core service is intensive one-on-one mentoring, with referrals coming from Police, Oranga Tamariki, MSD, high schools, and other social services. Each rangatahi (youth) is matched with one of Ko Wai Au’s kaimahi (staff) who works closely with them to set goals and engage them in education, training, or employment.
“I’m a huge believer in this one-on-one approach and it’s really working. You take that pressure off your kaimahi and rangatahi and whānau. Many of our rangatahi are flying through our service” says Gina.
While their core service is deeply individualised, Ko Wai Au offers other services including their Hauora service, driver licencing, first aid certificates, high school-based programmes and a mana-enhancing programme for boys which teaches different coping mechanisms.
“We do lots of work around self-identity, ensuring rangatahi know who they are and where they come from. I’m a big believer in connecting our young people back to their community and ensuring they have a multitude of support networks wrapped around them so it’s not just down to one,” she adds.
Investing in Kaimahi: The heart of Ko Wai Au
At the core of Ko Wai Au’s success is their belief in their kaimahi. “They are our biggest resource,” Gina says. “We live in a society that’s always evolving, so it’s vital our kaimahi stay up to date and keep growing.”
Ko Wai Au partnered with Careerforce, a nationwide work-based learning provider, to support their kaimahi in gaining formal NZQA qualifications. Kaimahi completed an Apprenticeship in Whanau, Community and Social Services (Youth Work) which can take approximately 21 months. Each staff member was also given a study day each month, and Careerforce Apprenticeship Advisor Naida King became a key figure in their development journey. “Naida’s communication was amazing,” Gina shares. “She aligned with our values, broke things down when needed, and was always available.”
Apprenticeship Advisor, Naida King, adds, “It was a great ‘teamwork makes the dream work’ situation. Great people and a great service to have for the youth in our little town”.
Apprentice Emma Croucher shares “I had not done any study since high school and was unsure of the process and what it would look like. Naida made herself so accessible to us and without her support this process would’ve been much harder.”
Colleague, Mikaera Hemara, adds, “When my manager approached me to complete a Level 4 apprenticeship in Youth Work I was on edge and didn’t want to do it as I had tried to work full time and study at university previously and found it very stressful. However, I found it easy to balance work and training due to the support of my Careerforce advisor and leadership team within my workplace”.
The impact of training has been profound. Kaimahi have gained confidence, validation, and new tools to better serve their community. “We’ve only had one kaimahi move on in 2.5 years,” Gina notes. “If you invest in your people, it pays off.”
You can find out more about Careerforce’s Youth Work Apprenticeship here. Employers may also be eligible for the Apprenticeship Boost.
Isabelle Tong