GROWING OUR OWN
With Whangaitia Cadetship Programme – Health New Zealand Hawke’s Bay
A strong relationship built over 18 months has resulted in five quality recruits working at Enliven Disability. Good things happen when we genuinely connect.
Dale and Sharon, Cadet Peer Supervisors for the Whangaitia Cadetship Programme at Health New Zealand Hawke’s Bay, share Enliven Disability’s passion for helping locals reach their potential. “Through a cadetship programme, we work with Ministry of Social Development to get people onto a new health career pathway. Like after Cyclone Gabrielle when many lost jobs.”
The Whangaitia Cadetship is an eight-week journey of support and education that ends with a chance to “slide in” to meaningful employment. “I love my job; it’s changing people’s lives. It’s really hard work but very rewarding. Graduation day is always a proud moment. Seeing what it means to them and their families is really quite special.” Enliven staff attend graduations to show support.
“We help people, we grow our own workforce.” – Dale and Sharon
Kai, Enliven Disability Residential Operations Manager, sees the transformations up close. “The cadets are well liked and respected. They want to be here. One cadet arrived full of self-doubt. Now they’re more confident, more in touch with their heritage all thanks to our Māori flatters (residents). Together, we got it right for this now Support Worker. They’re thriving. A flatter wanted to be at Graduation day to support their cadet, it’s a visual reminder that flatters take the cadetship seriously too.”
The cadetship has stringent criteria including police, health, and reference checks. One cadet began with, “I want to change my life.” Kai noticed that Dale and Sharon’s team ‘cherry pick’ cadets for his team. They spot specific qualities needed for disability work, “we look for people with heart, passion, humility, and empathy, the package deal. We can explain the work to cadets because we’ve spent time at Enliven meeting staff and flatters.”
“That’s the beauty of this relationship. We have a great connection with Kai and the team. They support us and we support them. It’s reciprocal. It’s mutual respect.” – Dale and Sharon
This relationship with the Whangaitia Cadetship Programme is successful because both sides are proactive. Cadet Peer Supervisors say, “if there’s an issue, it doesn’t linger. We sort it straight away, and we manage cadets until graduation, so we take that stress away from Enliven.”
Photo : Kai Jugo, Enliven Disability Residential Operations Manager
Cadets come from all walks of life including young, older, some with lived experience of disability, and others new to health work. “A lot haven’t worked in disability before. Some start with no self-belief, said they thought they were ‘stupid’, had no schooling. The cadetship lights a spark. They say, I did that, now I want more!” Successful cadets say Enliven is amazing and they’re thankful to be employed there. “One didn’t think they could do it, but they nailed it. Like a rocket, they don’t stop!” Cadets know they’ve helped someone. “That’s the biggest thing for them, they know they’ve made a difference in a person’s day.”
Some cadets felt judged before, or were unsure how to re-enter the workforce. “It’s people having difficulty finding a new path. Mums returning to work, seasonal workers, people recovering from health issues, and a lot of redundancies.”
“Something shifts when cadets join Enliven. Right from the get-go when they met flatters, they were just like, Oh! Yes, this is where I’m meant to be, they have felt that connection. They’ve thanked us every day since joining the disability team. They said it was like extended whānau. We said, great because that’s what it’s all about!” – Dale and Sharon
People build confidence fast at Enliven. “During the eight weeks, the programme adds ‘boots on the ground’ and gives great locals a chance to enter paid work.”
Many cadets get their first qualification, a NZQA Level 2 Certificate in Health and Wellbeing. Some go on to study nursing; others find their calling at Enliven. Cadet Peer Supervisors say, “it’s the journey, seeing them grow, seeing what they can achieve, which they never thought they could. At the end, it’s a new chapter. They’re opening another door. They’ve got people who believe in them.” They hope to see cadets pursue further qualifications and specialised roles. “We see them growing and being an absolute asset.”
“We do this well as an organisation, building and growing people and taking care of our own.” – Kai
The Whangaitia Cadetship places excellent recruits across Hawke’s Bay in aged care, community roles, and hospitals. Kai wants other Operational Managers to benefit like Enliven has, “I liaise with service providers around Hawke’s Bay. Some didn’t know about this. I’ve connected some to the programme, including in Waipukurau.” Kai’s also learnt from the cadets, “sometimes you don’t know your own potential. You need people to point out a strength you’ve never recognised. That’s what we’ve been able to do here as an organisation, is to point out exactly that.”
Join us! Learn what your full potential looks like at Enliven Disability. Visit psec.org.nz/careers to see job openings and apply.
