It launched in Whanganui last week, adding to Dunedin and Gore where it is already operating, while launches in Nelson and Marlborough are expected in the next month and Waitaki and Waimate in the next couple of months.
YES was launched with the goal of finding employers offering opportunities to young people and telling their positive stories. The opportunities offered are varied; it could be a job, or a chat about career progression, or the industry. It could be a mock interview, assistance with a CV or a walk-through of a business.
The initiative involved the Ministry of Social Development, Otago Southland Employers' Association, Otago Polytechnic, the University of Otago and the Otago Chamber of Commerce.
Since its launch, it had very successfully developed opportunities for young people, one of its drivers, Firebrand managing director Rebecca Twemlow said.
With the Covid-19 lockdown, those opportunities could not be delivered — employers were under "enormous stress"or were closed during that period. Yet young people were clearly going to be "immeasurably" impacted in the future, she said.
It got her thinking about what could be done quickly to make a difference both now and into the future for young people. A job board had been developed providing a platform for businesses to advertise jobs directly to young people throughout New Zealand free of charge.
There were jobs available for young people — they might be different from what youth thought they wanted to be doing, but they still had to "start somewhere".
She wanted employers to continue to work on providing great environments and workplaces that were nurturing and safe for young people.
Mrs Twemlow was grateful for the support from MSD, saying to be afforded the opportunity to make a difference, both today and into the future, was "really cool."
"MSD is allowing us to be innovative, forward thinking and relevant, using technology," she said.
She also urged people to "support local", saying if they wanted to have a country able to support its young people through career pathways, then they needed to look at their own supply chains.
