Nine young Waitaki district shearers have received top›tier training in their field with support from the Mayor’s Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ), the council says.
Waitaki District Mayor Mel Tavendale said local business owners Willy McSkimming and Phil Cleland worked with MTFJ ‘‘to help these young people’’.
‘‘Partnering with local staff to attend the four›day elite training course.
MTFJ was funded by the Ministry for Social Development through Local Government New Zealand, but delivered locally by the council, the statement said.
Mr Pestell said MTFJ’s role was to help young people into employment, support sustainable employment for young people and support local employers to develop and retain staff in the district.
‘‘I visited the course on the final day, and Noel and Bruce from Elite Wool Industry Training Ltd businesses to support the shearing industry and giving young people a fair shot at a career is another benefit of the Mayor’s Taskforce for Jobs.’’
Costs were split between the MTFJ, the employer and the young people who attended the Elite Wool Industry Training course held at Mt Parker Woolshed near Ikawaithis month.
Each of the nine young shearers wrote an introductory letter about their ambitions for future employment as shearers, a statement from the Waitaki District Council this week said.
McSkimming Shearing and Phil Cleland Shearing approached Waitaki MTFJ co-ordinator Greg Pestell seeking support for nine of their young were calm and encouraging, but ensured[the nine young shearers] all met the physical and mental demands of shearing during their assessments,’’ he said.
Mr McSkimming said he appreciated MTFJ’s support, saying the training provided would ‘‘go a long way’’.
‘‘Backing initiatives like this and helping young people get a start in an industry like ours makes a real difference.
‘‘We need a steady flow of young people coming through the ranks.’’
