We need
Youth
Workers

Apply now

Make a difference for our rangatahi one moment, milestone and interaction at a time.

Join us as a Youth Worker and provide our rangatahi with the environment, services and care that will keep them safe and support them to get their lives back on track. 

 

The most rewarding thing for me about the job is seeing young people grow.

Manu, Youth Worker

About you

You’re committed to offering rangatahi a safe space and an opportunity to learn and grow.

You take pride in knowing that your work makes a real difference to the lives of rangatahi.

You’re looking for a role that is different every day, that values relationship building and connections and where you won’t be stuck behind a desk. 

 

Apply now

What we're looking for

Youth worker with rangatahi

Our Youth Workers come with different experiences, skills, and passions. What they all have in common is the determination to be there for rangatahi, and to listen without judgement.

You might have worked with young people in a previous job or in your social life as a sports coach, mentor or tutor. You might have experience in customer service, trades, hospitality, healthcare, education, or creative arts.

The safety of our kaimahi on site and rangatahi is a priority for us. To be a Youth Worker you need to be:

  • Physically fit and able to play sports and interact with rangatahi safely.
  • Willing to work across a roster that covers morning, evenings, weekends and public holidays.
  • Able to pass Vulnerable Childrens Act and Police vetting.

They also offer opportunities to learn or enhance their skills and engage in beneficial social activities.

What Youth Workers do

'Young people are like sponges.’

Transcript

 'Young people are like sponges.’- video transcript

Kaiwhakaue Sean:

For a lot of our rangataki that come into care to them, social norms look a little bit different and that's just from learned behaviours, environment, all those sort of things.

But I think the main purpose of working in this space is realising you can't change the world every single day.

It's about just role modelling more pro-social behaviours and young people are like sponges.

End of transcript.

What Youth Workers do

As well as keeping our rangatahi safe, our Youth Workers are also mentors, role models and coaches. They help rangatahi develop the skills, behaviours, and attitude they need to enrich their own lives and meaningfully contribute to their whānau and community. 

Youth Workers help deliver a variety of interesting and skill-building programmes for rangatahi. including: 

  • On-site school
  • Cooking classes
  • Vocational and cultural development
  • Gaming and sports tournaments
  • Leisure, music, and art activities.

Our rostered environment offers the routine, support, structure, and sense of community rangatahi need. 

Where Youth Workers are based

'I am you and you are me’

Transcript

'I am you and you are me’ - video transcript

Kaiwhakaue Russ:

Rangatahi they have this hunger to consume Māori content.

So you know they're really mischief and loud and boisterous teenage boys in rōpū but if you sit down and you're telling them something 
about them that's inside them then they'll you can see them just switch and tune in and try and absorb as much as that as possible.

Because, unfortunately, the majority of these young people don't come from backgrounds where just that simple things that, you know, I took for granted growing up, yeah.

Do you want me to stop recording? Yeah bro.

One of our koro from our auahau, koro Mita Mohi, his whakatauki was, 'Ko au ko koe, ko koe ko au.'

So, 'I am you and you are me'. You know we are one so the whakaaro, the thinking behind it is, you know, you treat people how you like to be treated andif they can, if they can take that away and out there into the community, then I'll be, I'm a happy man.

Awesome.

End of transcript.

Where Youth Workers are based

Positions are both permanent and casual, and may be available across our youth justice residences and care and protection homes in: 

  • Auckland
  • Rotorua
  • Palmerston North
  • Wellington
  • Christchurch
  • Dunedin
  • Invercargill 

How we support our Youth Workers

Teen ang youth worker playing basketball

We are committed to ensuring that our kaimahi have the best possible preparation and support to prepare them to work in our unique environment. 
Our Youth Workers receive: 

  • six weeks of full-time, fully paid training before they commence rostered work.
  • ongoing training and development.
  • great career progression opportunities in meaningful lines of work. 

Apply now

If you’re ready to make a meaningful difference to the lives of rangatahi, check out our available positions and apply now.

Apply now

Published: May 15, 2024