Youth Worker/ Kaiārahi

Do you have a passion for supporting young people (aged 12 to 21)? Would you like to make a difference by strengthening youth identity, sense of belonging, and social connectedness with their peers, whānau, and communities through group work and 1:1 support? If so, this may be the job for you

Taiohi Tūrama - Rotorua Centre for Youth (formally known as the Rotorua Youth Centre) is looking for a motivated and experienced Youth Worker/ Kaiārahito to join our Youth Development team with an exciting project that supports young people (taiohi) aged 12 to 21 years who would benefit from group work and 1:1 support to support their engagement in education, training or employment, and to strengthen their connections to people and support services.

The Youth Worker/ Kaiārahi will come with a minimum two years' experience working with youth, and ideally come with (or be open to working towards) a Level 4 relevant qualification.

The Youth Worker/ Kaiārahi, through the facilitation of group work and 1:1 support, will assist taiohi in the development of skills and knowledge, supporting them to develop and learn from their experiences with a focus on building and strengthening a network of support, which can endure into their adult lives.

Each taiohi will be engaged in the programme for a minimum of 10 weeks, during which each taiohi will attend five full day face-to-face workshops (approx. one per fortnight) and receive approx. 8 coaching/mentoring sessions (one per week) throughout the programme. Support will be tailored for taiohi based on individual and group needs.

The Youth Worker/ Kaiārahi will support successful re-engagement with, and transition through, the educational journey of the taiohi through a holistic approach that enables comprehensive needs assessment and support to address their needs; and enable taiohi to experience a range of youth development opportunities including outdoor experiential learning, team activities, creative programmes, and health and wellbeing services and support.

Taiohi will be supported by the Youth Worker/ Kaiārahi to achieve their individual pathway plans and reinforce the skills and competencies learned through the workshops as part of taiohi holistic development. This approach, which is directly aligned with Mana Taiohi, includes active whānau participation, and enables taiohi to build a vision for their future and be motivated to stay engaged in their educational journey to achieve that aspirational goal.

The Youth Worker/ Kaiārahi will take a youth-led approach that empowers taiohi to have a stronger voice and increase responsibility for themselves. The Youth Worker/ Kaiārahi position is a relationship-based support role and strong relationships are at the core of delivering effective support. While the ability to build and maintain trusting relationships with young people is vital, it is also expected that the Youth Worker/ Kaiārahi would maintain collaborative relationships with the young person's caregivers, whānau, and a range of community and government support agencies that are relevant to the young person's plan.

The Youth Worker/ Kaiārahi will work with a minimum of 60 taiohi per year, for a minimum of ten weeks. Support will be tailored for taiohi, based on individual needs.

As a result of the service delivery, taiohi will be expected to:

1. achieve an education, training, or employment outcome
2. strengthen their connections to people (e.g. peers, teachers, positive role models, whānau, hapū, iwi) and support services or community groups (e.g. health, mental health and wellbeing, financial, youth, other community services, clubs, sports teams, or volunteering).

RCYCT is a not-for-profit organisation funded by Government agencies and other organisations through contracts and grants. We are a dedicated Youth One Stop Shop with the vision that all 'Rotorua youth reach their full potential'. All service delivery will be underpinned by RCYCT's vision, mission, values, principles. RCYCT is committed to the principles of Te Tiriti O Waitangi and works within a Pūtake Nui approach.

We are offering a competitive salary and a great work environment If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you

For further information, or to request a job description please contact Steve Holmes at SteveH@taiohiturama.org.nz or 021 650 089. Applications for this position will close at 12pm on Friday 28th March 2025; however, it will close earlier if suitable applicants are found prior to this date.