Young people say employment programme kept them from 'bumming out'

Teens graduating from a Hutt Valley youth employment programme say without it, they'd just be "bumming out" - but now, they're confident they can find work.

Youth unemployment - 15-24-year-olds - is soaring and at nearly 15 percent, it's roughly three times that of the wider working population.

Charity organisation Youth Inspire helps vulnerable young people get the skills to get into work and recently it's been crowdsourcing some of its funding.

But on Thursday night - in front of friends and whānau - it was celebrating the graduation of 14 rangatahi who'd completed its 10-week course.

Mum, Mana Gillespie told RNZ she'd notice a change in her 18-year-old son, Rikki-Sean Galuvao during his time in the programme.

"More motivated, getting out of the house, happy about work-experience, outings with the course. I'm proud of him, excited."

Galuvao said he'd noticed a change too, and felt the time spent working on communication and interview skills, as well as in a clothing store at the mall, had made a difference.

"Before the course I wasn't like, open to talking to people. I was more closed in ... now I'm more open to talking to people, feel more confident."

He said being a professional UFC (ultimate fighting championship) athlete was his end goal, but for now he could see himself working in retail until he realised that dream.

Galuvao said he'd recommend the course to others.

"I feel like, it's really important [to have] programmes like this, because there's a lot of youth out there that don't really know what do with their life.

"This programme really helps them find what they're looking for, gets them on the right path."

Fellow graduate, Crystal McGregor said the programme had had a profound effect and without it she'd probably be "bumming out".

She said the course delivered life lessons that she didn't find in school.

"You have more opportunities around the whole entire world than just where you are at, right now."

McGregor spent her work-experience at an early childhood education centre, and while full-on, she said she enjoyed it.

"I chose to work with kids because they're sweet."

McGregor said she was keeping her fingers crossed for a relief teaching job, and was also hoping to get her restricted driver's licence through Youth Inspire's driving school - which she found suited her better than others.

"Youth Inspire is more like, calming, comforting. Any other place that I've tried raises anxiety because there's pressure to it."

The charity has recently turned to crowdfunding its driving school after missing out on a grant from the Waka Kotahi Road Safety Fund.

A spokesperson for the Transport Agency said the fund's eligibility criteria changed last year, with the $17m available in the lastest funding round allocated to 21 applicants out of the 138 who applied.

They said decisions were based on funding constraints and weren't a judgement of the kaupapa. They said they understood Youth Inspire's disappointment and had provided feedback, but: "There is no remaining funding to allocate."

Chief executive Zainab Ali said with 70 percent of jobs requiring a driver's licence it was a clear way to help youth into work - it also kept them out of trouble.

Ali said being caught driving without a licence was normally the entry point for young people into the justice system.

"So when we intervene, get the licences, get the great training, keep our roads safer, there's long-term outcomes of that."

Ali said the charity had raised $4000 so far, which could put 40 rangatahi through the school, and was adamant finding the money to invest in them was worth it.

"Our future are these young people. Whether you and I can afford to put the heater on when we're retired or have to put an extra blanket on - that's going to be decided by this generation.

"Biologically, we know by 25 the brain is fully developed. This is our last chance to intervene and make sure these rangatahi of Aotearoa have beautiful futures or at least the best chance of having a great future and becoming great citizens of New Zealand."

Ali said in the charity's almost 13 years, more than 4000 youth had come through its doors and demand kept the waiting list constantly hovering around 150.

She said Youth Inspire would stay with its young people until they found work and said many in the graduating cohort had already secured jobs.

For Galuvao and McGregor - who were both feeling more confident about the future - on Thursday night, they were just stoked to have reached graduation.

"For the past two days, people have been messaging me saying they're ... so proud cause I'm finally graduating," McGregor said.

"It feels amazing."