June 2009: Launchpad Stats Update
| Number of Scholarships to date: | 762 nationwide |
| Number of Employers to date: | 291 nationwide |
Manukau Courier, 2007
Launchpad provides Manukau employers with motivated young staff.
A non-profit employment initiative launched recently in Manukau aims at increasing the employment skill levels of school leavers - and local businesses are already embracing the scheme as a win:win situation.
Launchpad Manukau provides a unique solution that helps school leavers into professional careers while minimising the risks faced by employers. A lot of investment goes into employing and training a school leaver - Launchpad assists employers with scholarshipsthat provide young employees with polytechnic qualifications while working in their first year. The initiative was first trialled in legal offices in Canterbury, employing school leavers in entry-level office administrationpositions. The success of this venture saw the scheme spread to office junior roles in fields such as accountancy, logistics and engineering - at the same time the initiative spread to regions including Dunedin, Wellington, Tauranga and now Manukau.
The school leaver in effect works full-time, with just three hours per week’s work time spent at polytech, studying towards a level 3 National Certificate in Business Administration. Such a pathway provides practical support for young employees as they develop the experiance and skills the employer is looking for.
Candidates with Attitude
How do you know the calibre of the person you are employing? Obviosly you want someone with a positive attitude, good presentation and written and oral communication skills. They will need to know what the work entails, and be prepared to work hard in a busy year of earning-while-they-learn.
This is where Launchpad’s regional co-ordinator comesin. A successful professional with experiance in management and recruitment, the coordinator liases with school careers advisers, making presentations to schools, conducting interviews and assessing candidates’ suitability. The students must apply personally, and show a desire to gain tertiary qualifications and pursue a career in office, reception, customer service or assistant administration roles. “Regional co-ordinators are astute judges," says Launchpad National Director Kathy Shaw, who spent more than six months setting up the infrastructure in Manukau to make the scheme a success. " They don’t necessarily look for academic brillinace, but they do look for the right attitude, basic levels of literacy and numeracy, and some evidence of thier stickability. Co-ordinators are very good at spotting hidden potential!"
Looking for employment
At the same time the regional co-ordinator is in touch with the business community, looking for employment opportunities that are appropriate to the Launchpad initiative. There are employer obligations, but they also receive the benefit of the co-ordinator’s involvement in making the transition easier. Launchpad employers are asked to assign a supervisor to oversea the tranee’s course work and share information with the co-ordinator.
Employers have told Launchpad that one of the biggest issues for business is the shortage of skilled people in the workforce. “To obtain a qulaity employee prepared to learn, to do a good job and make an effort, is half the battle. By providing assistance and winning the confidence of the business community, we will see more successful placements, better employees, happier workplaces... a win:win situation." Kathy says there is plenty of anecdotal evidance of workplaces taking on a Launchpad student and really taking an interest in their study, progress and graduation. A significant number of companies involved in the initiative so far have hired second or third school leavers.
Choosing Manukau
Launchpad is a non-profit initiative developed by the Employment Scholarship Trust. The Trust chose Manukau as its first Auckland base for its geographic compactness, proximity of workplaces to the polytech, its high standard of tertiary providers and its great potential for business development. It is estimated that 40 percent of all Manukau businesses meet the criteria as the sort of operation that could benefit from this initiative. Recruitment is an ongoing process, so Launchpad Manukau is able to fill any employment vacancies at any stage of the year.
To become a launchpad employer please contact the Regional Co-ordinator in your region!