Reinventing herself: CadetMax has given her a clean slate…
CadetMax programmes gives young people, aged 16-18, the opportunities, guidance and support they need to identify and achieve their career goals. The programmes are funded by Work and Income and work on a referral basis. Twenty percent of places on the programme are reserved for Child, Youth and Family clients.
Cadet MAX starts with a two week induction course designed to bring cadets up to speed with basic work skills including time management, relationship building, and form-filling. Cadets also prepare a cv and develop skills relevant to their chosen industry. This is followed by week-long work experience placements to test out potential careers. The Cadet MAX team then work 'flat out' to try to find the young person a job in their chosen industry.
One young woman was the first of her intake to be offered a job, overcoming many obstacles to secure a fresh start for herself. Stacy* at 16 had a difficult family background and had a history of offending. She had been involved in a number of FGCs and had completed 120 hours community service.
"At her third FGC, Stacy was firm that she didn't want to return to school, so we talked about what options she had. When I suggested CadetMax, she was initially wary of the idea," says the youth justice coordinator. "We talked through the things that were concerning her, like having to commit to attending every day, and having to get up early. She had pretty low self-esteem and wasn't convinced that it would help secure her a job."
"We then focussed on what she stood to gain - the skills and support she would get that would help her secure a job. Stacy had quite high reparations to pay from earlier offending, so she could see the benefits of having money coming in, and the sense of independence she would get from having her own income."
The first few days were a bit of a struggle, but her family were really supportive as were the people on the course. She slowly went from strength to strength, building up her confidence and motivation with each little success.
Her work placement led to a permanent appointment as a trainee customs broker for a major freight forwarding company. Within less than two years she will have her customs PIN, a highly valued industry certification. Her experience with CadetMax has given her a clean slate and a chance to reinvent herself.
"She's proving an absolute star in her new found workplace and is now able to see a future for herself and the chance to gain some independence," says the coordinator who screens the Child, Youth and Family referrals. "CadetMAX is a fantastic example of how we can work together with Work and Income and industry partners to support young people in their transition to become independent and help them to thrive."
CadetMax programmes are run in Manukau, Hamilton (run as GROW, through Relax Training Institute of NZ) and in Dunedin. For more information about programmes in your area, or to find out about other training or pre-employment programmes available, contact the programme coordinator at your local Work and Income site.
*Note-Name has been changed.
