Twenty-seven young people from around the Ashburton District learned about different jobs and why people love doing them at an event last week designed to inspire future work choices.

The free Inspiring the Future event was facilitated by Council’s Mayors Taskforce For Jobs co-ordinator Sharon Watson and hosted in Te Whare Whakatere, the new library and civic centre.

The young people heard from 10 local volunteer role models, who talked about their jobs, their pathway and challenges they faced along the way.

Role models included a lifeguard, a dog control officer, business owners, a jockey and projects and logistics managers.

Mayor Neil Brown and deputy mayor Liz McMillan also dropped by to talk with the group.

“The role models covered a diverse range of industries and provided some really good insights into various career paths, and it was inspiring to hear their work histories and how they progressed their careers,” Mayor Brown said.

“It was also interesting to realise that the one thing in common they all had and needed was customer service skills.

“I was a shepherd after I left school and then went to Lincoln before farming. As Mayor, I need customer service skills too.”

The role models talked about careers in military, logistics, diesel mechanics, medical, animals, creative fields, and computers/coding, while business owners spoke about having the courage to explore new possibilities.

Mayor Brown said the role models also passed on some good general work tips.

“They said having a driver’s licence was imperative, but warned that traffic infringements and criminal convictions can impact what you do in the future.

“They also talked about having positive attitudes and being adaptable through their working lives.”
Inspiring the Future events are held in collaboration with Connected NZ and the Ministry of Social Development.