2018 has seen a lot of traction gained in the youth employment sector. 
With the final quarter 2017/18 we have seen the success of the first JobFest for 2018.
Always looking at ways to work in with community, Youth Connections partnered together with the annual NZ Careers Expo – delivering JobFest on 24th May, 2018 at the ASB Showgrounds.

The Numbers:
• 2569 total attendees.
• 1132 attendees where registration data was collected. Of these: 63.2% were Not in Education, Employment or Training.
• 37 paid exhibitors.
• 10+ industries represented. With Retail (15%), Construction (12%) and Hospitality (12%).
• Over 1000 jobs on offer on the day.
• Estimated 408 people contacted by an employer post event.
• 231 interviews completed.
• 77+ people employed.

Part of the success of Youth Connections JobFest Events lies in the work that is put into preparing young people for employment interviews and opportunities.
Enter Rob Luisi – Youth Employment Broker and all-round youth support coordinator for Ranui135’s Employment Pathway programme (REP programme).
Ranui 135 is a grassroots registered charitable Trust. It was founded by 4 members of the Ranui community in 2002, with 11 years being staffed solely by volunteers.

Ranui 135 aim to empower young people through positive youth development, developing inspirational leadership in young people and increasing the capacity of, and for, youth workers.

Back in 2002 the Ranui 135 was the bus route to Downtown Auckland. The young people who began the youth initiative identified the bus as something that they REP Employment Broker Rob Luisi, Ranui135 Manager Zee Luisi and Dominique Leauga from Youth Connections all had in common.
As a community, Ranui has historically had a significant percentage of low skilled workers, with many employed as shift workers and the average salary being $20,700.00. Over the years Ranui 135 has developed programmes and activities to support and engage with young people.
Their local model, the vision is to always have a place for the young people of Ranui to come to that is safe, inspiring and that is staffed by positive skilled individuals who can assist them in an aspirational and vocational capacity;
assisting those farthest from the employment market to achieve their potential.

So what does this look like exactly? With all the growth and development in Ranui, young people can call into the Ranui House where they find Rob and his team readily available to listen to, and assist young people attain key skills, develop life plans and relationships to help them not only with their vocational plans but also
in the key areas of their lives – health & wellbeing, education, family support and more.

This year alone has seen the Ranui Employment Pathways programme supporting 33 local young people into training, education and paid employment.
Many of whom received assistance gaining foundation skills in seeking and securing employment, driver licences and ongoing support for employers who employ local Ranui young people.
If you have an employment opportunity for a local young person – be sure to connect with Rob Luisi and their young people.
To find out more, visit Ranui135 on Facebook @ranui135.realize or email garry@cphb.org.nz.