Work Ready Kāpiti reflects on a successful year, recognising the remarkable achievements across its programmes.
The Work Ready Kāpiti team is proud to announce the success of their 2024 Annual Awards held on Thursday, 24 October. The Awards Night once again served as a milestone event to celebrate the exceptional accomplishments and contributions of the Kāpiti youth, educators, and employers who have excelled in Work Ready Kāpiti’s programmes over the past year.
Held at the Southward Car Museum, the event featured inspiring guest speakers, including Kāpiti Mayor Janet Holborrow, and outstanding performances by local artists, making it a memorable evening. Throughout the ceremony, the spotlight was on the programme participants, with the highlight being the presentation of awards in recognition of the efforts and contributions from youth, educators, and employers in Work Ready Kāpiti’s #EmployerMeets, Kāpiti Work Ready Passport, and Work EXperience (WEX) programmes.
This year’s Award winners are:
● Best Kāpiti Work Ready Passport, Sponsored by Pzazz Building – Drew Hedge, for excellence in completing the Work Ready Passport programme.
● #EmployerMeet Star, Sponsored by Fervor – Elijah Mason-Anderson, for outstanding engagement with local employers.
● Top WEX Placement, Sponsored by Bens Buns – Sophia Lucas, for exceptional performance in work experience.
● Engaged and Invested, Sponsored by EcoShifter – Kāpiti College, for dedication to youth and community partnerships.
● Most Committed Employer of Youth, Sponsored by Bryan Gundersen – Allure Skin & Laser, for exceptional youth mentorship.
● Rise to the Challenge, Sponsored by Leith Consulting – Victor Perkins, for resilience and determination in becoming work ready.
● Youth of the Year, Sponsored by Coastlands – Jack Wilton, for top achievement in skills and workplace readiness.
Reflecting on his time with the Work Ready Kāpiti programme, Drew Hedge, recipient of the Best Kāpiti Work Ready Passport Award, said “The Work Ready Kāpiti programme was able to help identify my goals for being an electrician a lot more vividly. I felt going through this programme I was a lot more confident with what I wanted to do and achieve for the short and long term. It helped me gain a better understanding of the process of interviews and such.”
Commenting on the impact of the Work Ready Kāpiti programme on students, Melanie Chaytor, Careers Advisor at Kāpiti College, shared “Our students have shown growth in confidence and a newfound sense of pride in their accomplishments. The WorkReady program has empowered them to see their potential and understand the real-world skills they can bring to the workforce.”
Work Ready Kāpiti extends warm congratulations to all winners, graduates, and participants. The team finds it truly inspiring to witness the positive connections being forged between rangatahi and employers across the Kāpiti Coast. They look forward to seeing the continued growth and success of these young people in the coming year.
Follow Work Ready Kāpiti on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn or visit www.workreadykapiti.com, for up to date information about the Work Ready Kāpiti programmes.
