Workchoice Day - Tuesday 15th May 2012

Where are you getting your future talent from?
Do you know about the benefits of hiring Gen Y?
Are you doing anything to combat the youth unemployment crisis?
Does your company hire graduates or school leavers?

The world of work is changing, and fast. Developments in technology, along with new business practises, mean that both employers and employees expect flexibility and collaboration in the workplace. Businesses will need to keep up with the rapidly changing environment to survive.

2012 has seen a very busy start to the year in recruitment with many organisations and industries projecting skills and talent shortages. Some of the industries in which we can expect to see a lack of skilled contenders include: construction and engineering; ICT, electronics and telecommunications; nearly all sectors of science; and health and social services. Has your company projected what resources (including great talent) it will need in the next five years? How is your business planning to attract and retain fresh minds with new ideas?

Generation Y and Z can often be prey to some sweeping generalisations about their work ethic and attitudes. Probably the same sort of criticism that faced Generation X from the Baby Boomers in the workforce… What are often not discussed are the benefits of employing a young person.

Firstly, someone new to the workforce is often likely to notice things others are not. Young people are used to giving and receiving information quickly, should they see a system or process that could be improved, it is likely they may be able to offer a solution.

Working quickly also means that young people are excellent multi-taskers. They are constantly ‘connected’ and aware of what is going on around them. They know all the short-cuts having been brought up in a technological age, and can pass these on to you and the rest of your team. Being this connected also means that they are likely to be accessible 24/7 rather than just nine to five. If they think of something important at eleven o’clock at night, you’re likely to have an email about it waiting for you when you get to work the following day.

Another benefit of the constant connection with technology is that young people really understand the importance of branding. They have been advertising themselves since they were old enough to have a social networking profile and have often learned the intricacies and etiquette of quick-fire online communication.

This constant interaction also means that Generation Y and Z’ers are very output focused. They like to be able to share results and they will focus on achieving this, especially given their bad reputation giving them a desire to prove themselves.

Above all of these benefits, there is of course that young people are the most cost-effective to hire, and should you provide them with the support to develop a career, you are investing in a loyal long-term employee.
When you consider the advantages it is astounding that New Zealand currently has around 58,000 youth unemployed - do we risk losing a generation to our social welfare system?

At The Workchoice Trust we have been working for eighteen years as the bridge between education and industry. Through our work-ready programme and Workchoice Day, The Workchoice Trust provides a vital link which helps to connect young people with opportunities, experiences, knowledge, and career exposure. We give talented and motivated youth the employment advantage.

Due to unprecedented demand for our services, we need new support and participation from additional companies. Can you open your doors to showcase your organisation for one day a year? Get to know your future employees.

Please contact Business Development Manager, June Robinson, on 09 3764372 for more information or register on the Workchoice website www.workchoice.co.nz  

The Workchoice Trust is registered as a charitably entity with the Charities Commission.
The Workchoice Trust was established in 1994. In 1995, it launched Workchoice Day, a programme designed to give Year 12 students career exposure and help them make informed decisions about where they are headed with their career.

The Trust is proud of its achievement of providing 138,000 school students with the opportunity of seeing the world at work over the past eighteen years. Our work would not be possible without the generous support of the New Zealand business community.

Frog Recruitment is a leading media sponsor of the Workchoice Trust

The Workchoice Trust is a not for profit organisation that has been running since 1994. It's focus is to help high school students who are near the end of their schooling learn more about making informed career decisions. The Workchoice Day is held in May every year and offers an opportunity for the students to experience a field of interest and for businesses to meet the future workforce.

Click here! To learn more about The Workchoice Trust