“You know way more than you think you do.” That’s the message from Dale, one of the women fronting a campaign to support more Ōtautahi Christchurch wahine into the workforce.
Almost 20,000 women in Canterbury could, if given the right information and support, upskill or reskill into high demand industries, re-enter the workforce after a break or work more hours in their existing role. Barriers such as a lack of confidence, information overload and a lack of coherent, trustworthy resources are preventing many women from taking the next step in their career journey.
DaleI think as females we are tough on ourselves and that makes job hunting hard. But now I know I can rise above that. We are stronger and braver than we think and know way more than what we think. So just believe in yourself. If you can't believe in yourself, then how can anyone else,”
“I think as females we are tough on ourselves and that makes job hunting hard. But now I know I can rise above that. We are stronger and braver than we think and know way more than what we think. So just believe in yourself. If you can't believe in yourself, then how can anyone else,” says Dale.
The campaign, PowerUp, provides an online hub of information, tools to inspire, inform and connect women to employment and career opportunities in Christchurch, and in turn connect employers with a pool of potential employees. Events will also be a key feature of the campaign with ChristchurchNZ collaborating with industry and central government agencies to hold in-person events to inform women on high-demand sectors such as tech and facilitate networking with other woman, employers and support agencies.
It comes off the back of the skilled migrant advocacy paper ChristchurchNZ and the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce delivered to government in April, calling for the Government to increase skilled migration as the impacts of an extreme skilled labour shortage are putting the brakes on Canterbury’s economic growth.
ChristchurchNZ CEO Ali Adams says the campaign, which will run through to November, comes at a critical time for employers and is already getting excellent feedback from industry.
Ali Adams - ChristchurchNZ CEOThe campaign was a direct result of businesses crying out for more staff and the enormous untapped potential of attracting more women into the workforce. Our research has shown that practical adjustments, such as flexible working arrangements or meaningful roles, can be real drivers for women when choosing employment,”
“The campaign was a direct result of businesses crying out for more staff and the enormous untapped potential of attracting more women into the workforce. Our research has shown that practical adjustments, such as flexible working arrangements or meaningful roles, can be real drivers for women when choosing employment,” says Adams.
Comprised of expert advice from career coach Claire French and a wealth of easy-to-read, comprehensive information on regional support agencies, networks and opportunities, the PowerUp information hub’s engaging videos and real-life stories from the four women sharing their career journeys arms women with the information and confidence to make informed choices about their careers or work situations.
“The campaign to inspire and connect woman will be followed up by engagement with industry to support them to employ these women and equip them with the right information to make it easy to be an attractive and supportive workplace,” says Adams.
