April 21, 2021
Building Skills, Boosting Employability
Aleina Shepherd loves working with her hands. From sculpture to engineering, the practically minded teen dabbled in all this and more during her five years at Waitakere College. Now, in her first year out of high school, Aleina has stepped it up a notch, completing a 16-week internship and training programme that has boosted her confidence – and her employability.
Link Alliance (which is building the City Rail Link’s main stations and tunnels) and Education Unlimited have partnered to deliver the Progressive Employment Programme (PEP)’s 16-week internship, aimed at removing barriers to employment for Māori and Pasifika youth. The course includes an internship on the project, plus fortnightly classes with Education Unlimited to boost workplace capabilities and life skills.
For Aleina it has been a game-changer, expanding her knowledge of the construction industry, and giving her firsthand experience of the world of work.
“When I heard about the programme I thought I’d give it a go because I wanted to see what else was out there,” says Aleina, who graduated from the programme last month. “I did my internship in an office-based admin role. I got to do stuff like giving out PPE, doing stock takes, and making registers. Having tried sculpture and engineering through high school, I thought it would be good to try something different. I wanted to broaden my horizons and I really enjoyed it.”
The Education Unlimited training – which focused on building confidence, Te Ao Māori development, and strengthening financial and digital capabilities – was also hugely beneficial.
“Our Education Unlimited tutor Thomas was really good and taught us a lot. The most valuable part for me personally was the Money Confidence micro credential, it really opened my eyes to the importance of saving, and how to save.
“I also gained a lot of confidence throughout the programme – in fact my mum was quite shocked by the transformation, and says she has seen such a difference in me! I was so socially awkward when I started this course, but my mentor helped me learn to talk to people more easily and open up more, and Thomas taught us skills that helped with making presentations and public speaking.”
Now Aleina is taking these newfound capabilities and applying them to her future.
“This has been my first actual job so now I know a bit about the work environment – the PEP course has given me a great start. Even if I don’t end up staying in the construction industry, I now have lots of skills that will help me wherever I end up working.”
