A plan to stop Te Puke school-leavers from leaving the district by matching them with employers is gaining momentum.

The Te Puke Youth Employment Programme follows the design of an Otorohanga initiative, which Mayor Dale Williams says has cut youth unemployment in the town to virtually zero.

Graeme Walker and Jan Neal are throwing their support behind a programme to help Te Puke school-leavers into jobs in the area.

Te Puke's version, being pushed by the Te Puke Fast Forward group, is inspired from chairman Graeme Walker hearing Dale talk about his programme. This Thursday employers can learn how to get involved when Dale speaks at the Te Puke Hotel's Jellicoe Room.

'Who better to introduce the idea to them than Dale himself,” says Graeme, who is reaping positive support for the concept from those he has spoken to.

'We are not talking about charity from businesses. By actually helping match local school-leavers with job opportunities, it's to their advantage.”

To match people with jobs, the initiative's organisers are asking employers what roles they have available and what skills and training someone needs, so the programme can help guide young people into vacant jobs.

Organisers will also begin a programme next year to track school leavers, by providing regular follow-up for those who are not in education or employment to re-engage them with work. The tracking programme will be initially limited to those at-risk, but Graeme hopes to attract funding to cover all Te Puke school-leavers.

Te Puke High School careers advisor Jan Neal is optimistic about getting support for the programme from employers, saying there already is strong backing from businesses for helping school-leavers into work through a Gateway programme – and she expects this will be 'just the same”.

Plans for a similar programme are being investigated in Katikati, with a survey of college students on what support they want being analysed. Plus, work to link up agencies and programmes is already helping young people into work in this area.

The breakfast talk, with Dale Williams, is at the Te Puke Hotel's Jellicoe Room, next Thursday from 7.15am. For details, or to RSVP (by November 8), call 07 573 7329 or email: [email protected]