ChristchurchNZ’s initiative to support more women into work has been awarded a commendation at the annual Economic Development New Zealand (EDNZ) Awards held in Christchurch last night.
Nominated in the Collaboration category, the award recognises initiatives which demonstrate best practice partnership working to further economic outcomes.
Launched in June, the PowerUp campaign is focussed on supporting Canterbury women into work and arming them with knowledge and tools to make informed choices along their career path. It is centred around a regionalised information hub at www.powerupyourcareer.co.nz comprised of expert advice from a career coach, easy-to-read information on support agencies, networks and opportunities plus relatable stories led by four women who have overcome various challenges on their career journeys.
ChristchurchNZ receiving the award
The campaign came at a critical time for Ōtautahi businesses who are facing a major skills shortage due to border closures and strong economic growth. The result is a record high number of jobs available in Christchurch with a 33 percent increase in jobs advertised online between 2021 and 2022 with Manufacturing, Tech, Primary Industries, Construction and Healthcare skills most in demand.
It was also off the back of the skilled migrant advocacy paper ChristchurchNZ and the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce delivered to the Government in April, calling for them to increase skilled migration visas to reduce the impact of the extreme skilled labour shortage on Christchurch businesses.
Martin Cudd - GM Innovation and Business GrowthWe are tremendously proud to be recognised for this work. The deep pool of female talent available in Christchurch has the potential to help many employers ease the squeeze of the tight labour market, making PowerUp a campaign of significant value for Ōtautahi. The mahi does not stop here and we will continue to drive forward with further events, workshops and promotion aimed at other diverse and underutilised groups”
ChristchurchNZ identified that approximately 20,000 women are either underemployed or underutilised in the workforce and it was this a statistic that kickstarted the PowerUp initiative to support more women into work, with input and collaboration from a wide range of partners including the Ministry of Social Development and Dress For Success.
Events and employer workshops are also an integral part of the initiative alongside the centralised information hub. Two Women in Tech events and a career planning seminar for Ethnic Communities were run while a series of workshops focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion were designed to help employers grow their staff. Aimed at small to medium sized businesses, the workshops work to support managers and CEOs in fostering inclusive workplaces and open them up to invaluable diverse thinking.
“We are tremendously proud to be recognised for this work. The deep pool of female talent available in Christchurch has the potential to help many employers ease the squeeze of the tight labour market, making PowerUp a campaign of significant value for Ōtautahi. The mahi does not stop here and we will continue to drive forward with further events, workshops and promotion aimed at other diverse and underutilised groups” Martin Cudd, GM Innovation and Business Growth.
