A community approach to employment

The Ara Rau team Jay Tihema and Marissa Nikora chat to Nicola Jones about her new job. Photo: John Borren.

Finding a new job is a daunting task at the best of times, but add in relocating back to New Zealand amid a global pandemic and it becomes incredibly difficult.

Nicola Jones, her husband and their twins were planning to return from Japan early last year. Covid-19 prevented that, and they finally arrived in August 2020.

She lived in Japan for 15 years, where she met her husband, Tetsuro Kuchimura. He had only ever been here on holiday so there has been a lot of adjusting to life in Aotearoa.

The plan was to teach English as a Second Language, while Tetsuro would go to Toi Ohomai to study English himself.

Unfortunately, with the influx of Kiwis coming home and very few international students, Nicola found it tough to find teaching work.

'It's quite daunting starting from nothing,” says Nicola, 'especially because all the plans you've made suddenly aren't going to happen.”

She came across the Ara Rau skills and employment hub after creating a job seeker profile with Priority One.

Ara Rau is a community-led organisation that provides an individual approach to help people find a job or study.

The hub opened in November last year, with plans to provide a drop-in service within the next month.

Ara Rau employment navigator Marissa Nikora says they support job seekers, employers and the education sector.

'We differ from other employment services because we are trying to find the gaps and meet the need from that angle,” says Marissa.

'We're finding out from a community level what's not there, what's needed and then we'll fill those gaps.”

Nicola was the first person to use the service and received help with her CV as well as ongoing support.

Their core focus is to work with youth who are not currently employed or in education or training, particularly Maori and Pasifika, says Ara Rau operations manager Jay Tihema.

'We want to position Ara Rau as a safe space where people feel welcome,” he says.

'Whether you step into the workforce for the first time, or have had a big, long and successful career, people always need some sort of support.”

Nicola says the hub have been professional and friendly and she feels valued. In her dealings with other organisations in the past, she has felt like a number.

Nicola is now working part time as a teacher aide at Aquinas College and also does two-and-a-half hours of ESOL teaching each week.

She didn't find her job through Ara Rau, but says their support gave her the confidence to try different things.

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