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. 

 

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

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.

Youth worker with rangatahi

What you need to apply

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.
  • Hold a unrestricted New Zealand drivers licence with no demerit points.

You also need to be able to offer young people opportunities. Such as to learn or enhance their skills and engage in beneficial social activities.

What Youth Workers do

Hear what it's like to be a Youth Worker from from Kaiwhakaue Sean

Transcript

Kaiwhakaue Sean:

For a lot of our rangitaiki 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.

What Youth Workers do

Our Youth Workers are mentors, role models and coaches.

Youth Workers help rangatahi develop skills, behaviours, and attitude. This is so they have they tools to enrich their lives and meaningfully contribute to their whānau and community.

They also help deliver a variety of skill-building opportunities. These include:

  • School classes
  • Cooking classes
  • Vocational and cultural development
  • Gaming and sports tournaments
  • Music and art activities.

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

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 

Where Youth Workers are based

Hear about the impact of Māori cultural experiences in our residences

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.

 

[Voice off-camera]:

Do you want me to stop recording?

 

Kaiwhakaue Russ:

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 and if they can, if they can take that away and out there into the community, then I'll be, I'm a happy man.

How we support our Youth Workers

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: 

  • 3 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. 
Teen ang youth worker playing basketball

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