92 11th Avenue, Tauranga

1 Palmer Place, Te Puke

17b Commerce Street, Whakatane

Job Club Newsletter

...January 2010...

Welcome to 2010! 

This promises to be another year of changes so positioning yourself to take advantage of these is a wise investment of your time.

We are living a faster life now that at any time in our history; in fact the average ‘westerner’ is exposed to 65,000 more stimuli per day than our ancestors only 100 years ago were.

The technology and changes that brings us such a great range of options in our lives has a great impact on the career choices we make.  Consider the job losses which have hit the manufacturing, construction, call centre / customer service and administration sectors over the past few years.  These job losses have come about, not just as a result of tough financial times but through the improvements in technology responding to our need for more efficient ways of working thanks to our fast paced lives.   Remember how only a few years ago we needed secretaries to type our letters, send our faxes and take our messages?  Not anymore!  The improvements in technology has meant that we can now provide our own secretarial services quickly, easily and cheaply.

Being able to do things quickly, easily and cheaply is one of the keys to future-proofing ourselves and ensuring ongoing job security.  But the question a lot of people are beginning to ask is what jobs are safe?  And what can we do to ensure we will remain desirable to employers?

The jobs that are disappearing, either through technology or being relocated offshore are those that are repetitive with a low skill value. 

To protect yourself, look for roles that require a very high level of skill or flexibility.   Or, look for roles where your physical presence is needed.  The trades are an excellent example, carpentry, plumbing, hairdressing, beauty care.

Personality and communication skills are becoming more and more important; we have less time to build relationships with those around us so those with the skills to put people at ease and obtain/provide information easily will be increasing valuable.  Look at some retail and sales roles where it is the hands on work that counts.

Another way to protect yourself is looking for the industries that are growing and finding a niche for yourself here.

We have an aging population; and one that is increasingly facing lifestyle relating health concerns such as obesity, diabetes, and stress related illnesses.   There will be an ongoing and growing need for people in this industry from those wanting to look after others as caregivers, through to personal trainers, dentist assistants through to doctors and nurses. 

This leads to service industries.  What can you do to make others lives easier?  With so many families requiring both parents working there is increasing demand for people to fulfil the roles the stay-at-home parent used to do.  Look at the need for quality childcare, afterschool care, home maintenance, meal preparation, etc.  Remember the success of Green Acres?

Green trends.  With a much talked about target of 20% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the challenge is on to find more environmentally friendly methods to live and work.

So what does this mean for the individual?  You need to invest in your training.  With the constant changes coming our way, the opportunities will go to the people who are better trained and who are flexible in what they can do.

 Gain your core skills in computer operations; improve your written and verbal communication skills and refine your customer service manner. 

If you are currently out of work, consider enrolling in our National Certificate courses; we have youth and adult places available in Tauranga and Te Puke.  These courses will give you a good grounding in skills that employers consider desirable; our career coaching and job-search support is also among the best available in the Western BOP.

 Once you are in work be prepared to commit to continuing tertiary studies (many people study by correspondence – the Open Polytechnic lets you pay for your papers with Flybuy points making it very affordable to do one or two papers a year) to keep your knowledge current.

 And at all times, take the advice my mother gave me… “Do the best you can, and enjoy what you do”.

 Happy New Year!

"if you cannot accurately predict the future, then you must flexibly be prepared to deal with various possible futures"

Edward de Bono

WANT A JOB BUT NEED NEW SKILLS?

EmployNZ has an excellent record of supporting people into employment through skill development and on-job training.

From our National Certificate programmes to the shorter programmes that we offer in partnership with local employers; we provide our learners with the personal development, professional skills and additional encouragement they need to succeed.

Consider feedback from previous learners:

""Professional in all aspects; a great introduction to retail"  Sarah.

"This program exceeded my expectations.  I didn't think there was much I didn't already know about retailing, but there was quite a lot!"  Kev.

"I achieved what I wanted to when I started the course, and more!"  Cory.

Are you aged 16 - 18 ?

Did you miss your NCEA level one or two?

We may be able to help you complete the units you need in a friendly, fun learning environment that prepares you for work or further tertiary studies.

Phone Kevin on 577-0177 (Tauranga) or Shelly on 573-6465 (Te Puke) for more details.