Work Accelerator

The uncertainty and disruption of a post-COVID economy will provide attentional challenges for people seeking employment. For the social sector, this requires us to think differently about the way we deliver skills training and support services.

Our Work Accelerator is trialing a new support model, and will introduce new and improved skills and learning content to ensure people have the best chance of successfully finding employment and/or re-training to new sectors of work.


Target Outcomes

Participants will identify their transferrable skills, build vocabulary and communication skills, health and safety competencies, and basic employment skills for specific work opportunities. Participants will also identify and understand their broader cultural, physical, social, and psychological strengths and needs, along with developing life skills, and establishing the key government agency, business and community relationships needed for immediate work, or immediate entry into intensive vocational training.


Programme Structure

1.   Individualised Planning

  • Identify an individual’s existing skills, preferences and opportunities for re-training / re-deployment (can also include relocation, in conjunction with MSD)

  • Identify the existing training and employment options that match these strengths 

  • Identify the literacy, numeracy and communication skills required for success in these training/employment options 

  • Rapid screening and assessment of an individual’s literacy, numeracy, and communication barriers to participation in their targeted training/employment options 

  • Finalise the accelerator plan with the individual (and their whānau where possible)

2.   Accelerator Training

On completion of planning, participants will immediately commence an accelerator programme (targeted support for approximately 20 – 40 hours of contextualised literacy, numeracy, communication skills and health and safety knowledge to enable rapid commencement of training/employment options). This will include skills development specifically focussed on their next career choice (this could be one-one-one, small group, or enrolment in group-based modules, and could be physically delivered (ideally) or remotely delivered (where needed for reach or scale).

3.   Transition Support

On completion of accelerator training, navigators will provide support across the transition to training/employment until individual is successfully embedded in their new environment. Transition support can be delivered via a combination of face-to-face and remote/online methods as required by each individual. 


Partnerships

The Work Accelerator model will be trialed with a range of partners – including Government agencies, employers, and other employment support providers and community-based organisations.


Research and Experience

Development of the Work Accelerator model is developed based on the following project work:

  • Design and delivery of pre-release support programmes to prison-based learners

  • Design and delivery of the Speech Language and Communications Needs Navigator (SLCN) programme for Corrections’ High Impact Innovation Programme (Bail Support Service) in South Auckland

  • Detailed discussions with those upskilling and supporting Māori and Pasifika, employers from a range of sectors, recruitment and employment agents along with MSD and several ITOs.

  • Recent development work on post-COVID employment support packages to support re-training outcomes for individuals affected by COVID-related job losses.