Two of the priority outcomes of WFCD according to the contract with Ministry of Business and Innovation are to supply workforce for the NDH build, and to aid jobseekers in finding pathways to employment, primarily in but not limited to the trades. WFCD achieves these outcomes through numerous means, including through an MSD work broker who is based at WFCD. The supply of workforce specifically for the NDH build relies on contact between WFCD and the contractors involved with the build.

Improving the outcomes of jobseekers, especially those in groups that may experience barriers to employment, is an invaluable service provided by WFCD. Not only does it decrease the rates of unemployment in the community therefore reducing the number of people on the Job Seeker’s Benefit, but it also helps to retain the working population in the Dunedin community.

According to the Southern Labour Market, unemployment has been on a steady increase since2022 and is due to peak at 5.3% in 2024. According to the statistics of Your People Recruitment, this may be due to the steady decrease in job vacancies since 2022, and skill shortages for higher-level job vacancies. The percentage of working-age people on Job Seeker’s Benefit has also been stagnant. As part of the Government’s plan to reduce these numbers, WFCD were developed, to use large infrastructure projects like the NDH as a vehicle to benefit the community

WFCD has specific Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) measuring the volume of candidates our interventions place into employment. While these Placement KPI’s do indicate the effectiveness of the services we deliver, such as making use of relationships with recruitment agencies and other employers, to a degree, they do not tell the story of how the intervention has benefitted the job seeker or the community, and do not indicate what employment barriers were overcome.

This case study provides a real example of how WFCD and their strong connections in the community created a tangible positive impact in the Dunedin community. Specifically, this outcome saw an MSD work broker based at WFCD finding employment on the NDH for someone who had been on the Job Seeker’s Benefit.

Taylor White-Tekii is a young Pasifika man, meaning that he is from a priority group in terms of employment. This is because people from the Pasifika community often find employment barriers and are statistically more likely than New Zealand Europeans to enter jobs with limited opportunity for growth. This case study outlines how the intervention of WFCD aided Taylor in finding employment promptly, thus improving his quality of life and benefiting the local economy, as well as how WFCD aided the NDH contractors in meeting their workforce needs.

Taylor left Highschool in 2019. In 2022, he underwent a6-month Building Course through Dunedin Training Centre in which he constructed a basic Tiny Home. In 2023, he completed a Pre-Trade course in Heavy Automotive at Otago Polytechnic. Like many school leavers, Taylor struggled to break into the workforce in his skilled field and therefore ended up on the Job Seeker’s Benefit. It was through our MSD work broker that Taylor landed in the WFCD books.

During his time on the Job Seeker’s Benefit, Taylor was also gaining income from ongoing, casual Security work. This Security job was not providing a reliable or sustainable income and did not make use of Taylor’s qualifications, so it was not something Taylor thought of as a long-term career option. Because of this, Taylor was looking for full-time employment that made use of his skills and qualifications, in either the automotive or construction industry. While doing this job searching, Taylor was following the mandatory routine of anyone receiving the Job Seeker’s benefit, actively looking for employment and regularly checking in.

On the 18^th of June 2024, Aaron Brown from Dart Engineering approached WFCD with a need for some General Labourers within the next day or so to start work on the NDH build. Aaron had heard about WFCD and the recruitment and training services we offer through word of mouth around the NDH site. Taylor was a candidate who immediately came to mind, so WFCD got to work putting him forward for the opportunity.

WFCD contacted Stellar Recruitment, with whom they have developed a strong, mutually beneficial relationship with. Stellar were informed of the details of the job and given Aaron’s contact details. They were sent Taylor’s CV and details, which they then sent to Aaron. Taylor stood out to Aaron as an appropriate candidate because of his age, as the job requires a high level of physical fitness, and because of his lack of on-site experience, which Aaron deemed advantageous in terms of “training without having to break existing bad habits”. Taylor was employed as a Steel Installer Labourer by the19^th.

‍

Working on the NDH build requires a specific set of qualifications which Taylor did not possess, so WFCD got to work upskilling him so that he would be ready to work for Dart. WFCD upskilled Taylor directly delivering to him an induction with Mates in Construction General Awareness Training, Greenstar, and the Mana Whenua cultural narrative. WFCD also funded but did not directly deliver online training to gain SiteSafe verification, and training for Elevated Work Platforms though Vertical Horizons. Stellar also met Taylor in person to ensure that he was work-ready, providing him with any required PPE and a work bag. He stated about his experience with WFCD, both directly and indirectly through Stellar, that “they were so helpful…really cool and comforting so I wasn’t nervous at all meeting them for the first time.”

Taylor began working for Dart Engineering on the NDH build on the 24^th of June. His role so far has seen him installing service frames and droppers. He is still working in this position currently and will continue as the NDH build demands. Aaron has stated that he appreciates WFCD’s promptness in sourcing labour and for sourcing a high-quality worker. He is happy with his decision to employ Taylor, as “he is fitting in well with the staff and completing the work required of him”. Taylor has said that he is enjoying his employment so far, both because of the work itself and because of the people he works with. He stated that the people “like to teach me and I am happy to listen and learn from them, so it’s been good.” He also stated that“[he] can see [him]self doing this long-term”.

WFCD’s hope is that a positive outcome such as this will aid in fostering the relationship with the contractors and subcontractors on the NDH site. By creating these positive outcomes, the reputation of WFCD on the NDH site will be boosted in a positive way, hopefully encouraging more and more contractors and subcontractors to immediately think of us when it comes to sourcing and training their workforce. As well, success stories such as this will ideally encourage more job seekers to engage with us when they are looking to start their employment journey.

‍