Visionwest Community Trust - Ōhinga Tū

Our youth development and training service is called Ōhinga Tū. It is here that we support young people out of unemployment and journey with them along the pathway to a brighter future. Through our development programmes you can:

• Choose your pathway to future employment and education.
• Gain important trade and practical certification.
• Receive help to prepare your CV and apply for appropriate jobs.
• Receive mentoring to help find a job and support you in the first months of a job.
• Receive mentoring to overcome significant issues arising from your past.
• Get your training and job search back on track.

Ōhinga Tū designs and delivers programmes to help young people improve their self-belief and employment prospects, while offering hands-on skills development with a difference.

We do this by providing free, quality education and training aimed at guiding young people into full-time employment in an atmosphere of belonging and unconditional support.

Our range of courses and learning opportunities are supported by skilled mentors and learning tutors.

Programmes include:

• He Poutama Rangitahi - a rangatahi Māori (Māori youth) engagement programme aimed at improving education, training, and employment outcomes for rangatahi Māori aged 15 to 24 years who are NEET (not in education, employment, or training). More here.
  
• Employment programme - The Ōhinga Tū Employment Programme helps young adults (18 to 24 year olds) discover their passion for work and to learn and develop skills to get into employment. The Employment Programme works to develop your interpersonal skills, increase your self-confidence, and support you on a clear pathway to employment.  You will be partnered with a mentor who will meet with you regularly to identify and grow your strengths with the aim of placing you in a job that matches your skills. To qualify for our Mentor Vocational Programme, participants must be: Aged between 18 and 24 years and on a WINZ benefit. More here.
  
• Youth Services - A free youth coaching service providing one-on-one mentoring and wraparound support, with the goal of preparing young people for long-term employment.  You will receive the guidance, practical support and encouragement you need to create a work and training plan that suits your skills and potential. We can also assist with benefit entitlements for 16 and 17 year-olds. We offer three Youth Service programmes: (More here).
  

1. Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET).
2. Youth Payment (YP) and Young Parent Payment (YPP).
3. He Poutama Rangatahi for rangatahi Māori aged 15 to 24 years who are NEET (Not in education, employment or training) (see above).
   

• Youth Justice - A comprehensive youth mentoring programme to assist in supporting youth people engaged with Oranga Tamariki and/ or Youth Justice. Visionwest’s Intensive Mentoring Activity Programme (IMAP) programme provides intensive one-on-one mentoring with each young person offering focused supports tailored to their specific needs and designed to place them on the pathway to success. More here.
  
• Youth housing - With 50 percent of people experiencing homelessness in Aotearoa New Zealand being under the age of 25, Visionwest is committed to creating innovative housing responses to provide accommodation and mentoring support for rangatahi (young people). We have two youth housing programmes: (More here)
  

1. My Whare is an innovative response to housing rangatahi in Aotearoa New Zealand and involves placing quality one-bedroom studios on residential properties to house rangatahi who have had a challenging start. My Whare includes one-on-one mentoring and is designed to guide rangatahi who are transitioning out of care or homelessness towards educational and employment goals and a fulfilling life.
2. Whare Hiwa provides Kaupapa Māori designed housing support for 18 to 22 year-old wāhine who are experiencing homelessness or facing housing insecurity. It gives young wāhine a safe place to live alongside other wāhine and in association with Visionwest’s Ōhinga Tū youth work support service. Live-in supervision is provided and youth mentors work alongside wāhine to help them achieve goals relating to self-confidence, stability and employment.