In late September, Kāinga Ora held its second Future Squad – Waka Tauira programme with students from Mangere College and Te Aho O Te Kura Pounamu.

Future Squad gives young people an opportunity to learn about housing and urban development. Students are introduced to different aspects of the industry, and various career pathways. The programme was delivered via three full day workshops. 

During the first workshop, students heard from industry experts and Kāinga Ora staff Kamelia Haydon and McKenzie Tuala-Pine. Kamelia, a Development Manager for Mangere, spoke about what’s happening in the Mangere Development. McKenzie, a manager in the Kāinga Ora placemaking team, talked about how placemaking helps build a community and strengthen people’s connection to a place.

JP Puleitu, an Advisor for Youth Placemaking, led a co-design workshop where students shared their thoughts on what they would add or change to make Mangere an even better place to live, work and play.

Led by Katie Dobson, Education Advisor at the Construction Plus programme, the second workshop featured a professional panel including an architect, a development manager, a stakeholder relationship manager and an urban planner. They all shared their career journeys and discussed what it’s like to work in the industry.

The second workshop also included a ‘Where to next?’ session with representatives from the Ministry of Social Development, the University of Auckland, the Spotless Jobs and Skills Hub. The goal was to introduce students to various career opportunities, including the Kāinga Ora Construction Plus, Apprenticeship, Spotless Cadetship and Graduate programmes.

Once the students complete the third workshop, they can earn NZQA credits to go towards their level 2 or 3 NCEA certificate.

These workshops, part of our Construction Plus programme, shine a light on potential careers for students. They are also a great place to hear feedback from a youth perspective, giving today’s rangatahi a voice in shaping our future neighbourhoods.

Future Squad alumni are invited to keep sharing their views on local youth-related initiatives and they also get direct access to our pathways, internships and apprenticeship opportunities.

If you would like to be part of our next Future Squad – Waka Tauira, please register online here or email futuresquad@kaingaora.govt.nz. 

You can learn more about the programme here.