Southland Youth Futures

21/06/2026

How privileged were we to host Olympic rowing champion Rob Waddell during his recent visit to Southland!

Rob spent time with leadership and sports students at both James Hargest College and Southland Boys’ High School, generously sharing his journey and the lessons he’s learned along the way. His message was a powerful reminder that leadership, teamwork, excellence, and resilience aren’t just for sport; they are qualities that can be applied to whatever path we choose in life.

A huge thank you to Rob for inspiring our rangatahi and reinforcing what’s possible with hard work, dedication and belief.

Great South James Hargest College Southland Boys' High School

28/05/2026

Today we celebrated the 6th annual Girls in Trades 🔧👷‍♀️ - inspiring young women to explore pathways in the trades.

It was an epic day bringing together students, industry, and role models, full of energy, connection, and hands-on learning. From operating diggers and forklifts to using tools and drills, students stepped up, gave it a go, and discovered new possibilities for their futures.

A huge thank you to all the employers, tradies, educators, and supporters who shared their time, skills, and enthusiasm to make the day such a success. Events like this don’t happen without you, and they’re helping shape a strong, diverse future workforce for Southland.

PowerNet, HW Richardson Group, Civil Contractors New Zealand, Skills Trades Training, Makita New Zealand, Southern Group Training Trust, New Zealand's Aluminium Smelter, Southern Institute of Technology, Masterlink, MITO New Zealand, SouthRoads, Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation.

22/05/2026

We’ve loved delivering the Work Ready Passport to an awesome group of students at Southland Girls' High School - your energy, curiosity, and willingness to step outside your comfort zones has been refreshing!

A huge thank you to our employers who gave their time to support our mock interviews, your involvement is key, giving these young wāhine real-world insight and confidence.

And of course, we couldn’t do it without support from the school. Special shout-out to Ms Dymond - you are such a champion for your students.

Great work SGHS!

👏 Fonterra Community Trust South Great South Southland Business Chamber Niagara - Strength In Timber and Angela Evans 👏

19/05/2026

Last week we kicked off the first session of Future Fit for 2026!

We were lucky to have the fantastic Marcus from Crowe Music Studios join us, leading some awesome team building activities and showing just how much confidence can grow from a good old sing-along.

We sound a lot better than we thought, and who doesn't love a bit of John Denver?

14/05/2026

Another awesome session of mock interviews done and dusted at James Hargest College!

It was fantastic to see students stepping up, challenging themselves and gaining real-world interview experience.

A big thank you to our amazing mock interviewers for giving up their time, sharing their knowledge, and helping create a positive learning environment for our rangatahi. Opportunities like these make a huge difference in building confidence for the future.

👏HW Richardson Group, Niagara - Strength In Timber and Great South

01/05/2026

Such a successful Speed Networking event at Aparima College on Wednesday!

It was fantastic to see the community come together to support our rangatahi. Events like this create real opportunities for students to connect directly with employers, ask questions, and gain valuable insight to help shape their future pathways.

A huge thank you to all the employers who gave their time and shared their knowledge 👏

Southern Group Training Trust, Cruickshank Pryde, Skills Trades Training, VetSouth, Matariki Forests, Open Country Dairy, Flintoffs Chartered Accountants, Fowler Homes Southland, Radio Southland and Ocean Shell Studios - Giftware and Craft.

15/04/2026

Got an hour and want to make a difference?

We’re after local professionals to help young high schoolers practice interviews and feel more confident heading into the world of work. You don't need to work in HR! You could be a business owner/supervisor from any industry including trades, hospitality or healthcare.

Easy, fun, and super rewarding. Message us to get involved!

🌟 Help Shape Southland’s Future Workforce – Mock Interviewers needed 🌟

We’re looking to add a few more people to our awesome crew of employers supporting youth through delivering mock interviews as part of the Work Ready Passport delivered in schools across Southland.

If you work in the trades, HR, accounting, management, or own a local business and have an interest in supporting rangatahi to become work ready, we’d love you to get involved.

✅ Just one hour of your time
✅ Everything provided, you just turn up
✅ Be part of developing Southland’s future workforce

Mock interviews help students build confidence and the opportunity to practise real world skills.

📩 Keen to help or want to know more? Email [email protected]

Together, we can back our young people and our region 💚

14/04/2026

Need help with your CV or cover letter?

It’s not too late to head along to the Employment Workshop with South Alive Invercargill and our very own Renata 🙌

You’ll pick up heaps of practical tips and tricks to help you write a strong job application and stand out to employers.

Check out the flyer below for all the details and come along if you’re job‑hunting or thinking about your next move!

02/04/2026

What a great way to wrap up the term!

We’ve loved being back in schools delivering the Work Ready Passport and supporting students to build confidence and practical skills for the world of work.

The James Hargest College class went by so quickly, they’ve already completed their mock interviews, which was awesome to see.

A huge thank you to our amazing employers Fowler Homes Southland and Community Trust South for supporting this mahi, with Community Trust South helping fund the programme and making opportunities like this possible for our rangatahi.