Tararua Mayor Scott and Tararua District Council's Mayors Taskforce For Jobs (MTFJ) coordinator Jaron Vince recently
called in to Scrimshaw & Ransom General Engineers in Dannevirke to catch up with owner Daryl Edwards and young employee and MTFJ candidate Deegan Gore.

Deegan left Dannevirke High School at the age of 16 and, six months ago, began work at the Miller Street engineering business.
Daryl was familiar with the MTFJ programme and got in touch with Jaron when he was looking to take on an entry-level staff member.

MTFJ is a movement of mayors around Aotearoa New Zealand who advocate for a bottom-up approach to employment solutions to deliver the Community Employment Programme (CEP) along with broader initiatives.  The CEP is a nationwide partnership between MTFJ and the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) that’s delivering great outcomes in our rural and provincial communities.

Since starting work, Deegan has been supported by MTFJ with the purchase of tools – often a significant cost for young people starting out in the engineering trades.  Through MTFJ Deegan has also gained his Class 1 Restricted Licence and his Forklift Operators Certification.

Jaron helped connect Daryl with our local MSD Work Broker, Frida Moore, helping the business access funding through MSD’s Mana in Mahi programme.

The combination of support from MTFJ, MSD and the employer has helped make the transition into full-time employment easier for Deegan, while giving Scrimshaw & Ransom additional support to take on and train a young worker. Both Deegan’s progress and his attitude towards work have impressed Daryl. “He turns up every day, on time and ready to go,” he said.

After six months in the role, Deegan has now reached an important milestone. Under the MTFJ programme, a placement is considered to have achieved sustained employment once the employee has remained in work for six months.

It is an achievement that reflects the effort Deegan has put into the job, as well as the willingness of Daryl and the Scrimshaw & Ransom team to give him an opportunity and provide the support and mentoring needed to help him succeed.