Bay Harbour: December 02, 2020

PAGE 32 Wednesday December 2 2020
BAY HARBOUR
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The Star Thursday October 22 2020
24
OPINION
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Action and Opportunities in
Skills and Employment
By Karen Haigh
As COVID causes economic
disruption worldwide, one of the
most significant impacts is on
people’s jobs.
Te Ōhaka Many of – Centre us have had for our Growth and Innovation is wholly dedicated to
supporting, livelihoods nurturing, affected in and some growing way New Zealand start-ups and innovators.
by COVID - some by
redundancy, some by a reduction
in hours, or even by a reduction
City support for entrepreneurs and
in remuneration.
innovators
It’s clear our school leavers and
– an improved ecosystem
graduates will face a very
different outlook when they
finish their qualifications at the
• By end Simon of the Anderson
year.
ThincLab gives businesses the chance to grow, it offers them connection
to industry experts and agencies, and pathways to growth and investment.
CHRISTCHURCH As the city’s sustainable has long economic
been
development
the birthplace
agency,
of innovative
and technology-based start-up
companies, ChristchurchNZ from Tait Electronics
is working
in the towards 1950s to socio-economic
Jade in the 1990s
and recent recovery successes and supporting including our
Orbica workforce and Seequent. is a key piece of that
Many vital of work. these companies
ChristchurchNZ is helping identify opportunities for people to reskill and move into other sectors
have gained success from
taking So, existing what’s technology the situation? and
Higher unemployment impacts and to identify gaps, we are We are also developing a
high-growth areas. We are also
maximising their commercial
potential
Canterbury
by solving
has
real
seen
world
a 63% more significantly on those in mapping the support available Regional Workforce Plan that seeking to future-proof
problems increase – evoking in job seekers the spirt since of the lower skilled roles and our
from iwi, central and local
identifies the skills available and Canterbury’s labour market
the iconic beginning Kiwi of No the 8 wire. year, with the vulnerable populations – Māori; government agencies, our
needed now and in the future. - we know how vital it is to create
With regional significant unemployment economic rate Pasifika; young people not in education providers, charitable This plan will inform central new jobs to ensure people have
uncertainty, rising to we 5.1% are from seeing 3.2% people in employment, education or
trusts, and other support groups. government investment and employment options Kea now and
January of this across year. The the average training; and our long-term Impact projects can then be policy in education, immigration in the longer term. Aerospace
number of hours city worked popping is down
is building a
unemployed.
delivered to provide support and community interventions;
up with
high altitude
10% from a year ago.
where needed.
and will enable us to better We have invested
innovative
autonomous
in a city-wide
new ideas for And what are we doing?
understand what skills
innovation and aircraft entrepreurship for
As well as impacting a new business around We are supporting the journey It is critical we ensure our
Christchurch’s future economy ecosystem partnership gathering to support
9,000 jobs, this or tighter for business job market for labour market priority groups community has access to the will require. That in turn will high-growth potential high businesses
has a knock-on growth. impact on other – school leavers, tertiary
information they need, and is allow us to work with education and future job creation resolution in areas
To support
remote
areas including those about to graduates, NEET (young people aware of the help available. providers to ensure the right of regional strength sensing and global data.
join the workforce. Christchurch’s We will have not in employment, education or ChristchurchNZ is developing courses are offered.
growth opportunity. These
Simon
over 7,000 school
recovery
leavers
from
and
the economic 9700 training), Cantabrians impacted who have workers, lost aircraft regional that’s information capable of flying resources
business. The education ranges business
Supernodes
ideas,
are
ChristchurchNZ
Aerospace and
Anderson
almost 10,000
effects
tertiary
of
graduates their Māori job during and industry. the Covid-19 continuously and working the to ensure stratosphere this gets from In times topics of such recession as investment, we generally runs Future a series Transport; of idea Food, generators Fibre
Covid-19, in the ChristchurchNZ region facing an uncertain is pandemic.
for months into the hands at a time of those to collect who monetising see an increase your idea, in people intellectual and and innovation Agritech; Health Challenges, Tech and in its
helping future these come entrepreneurs
the end of the year. For To us ensure the question work isn’t has duplicated, been, high-resolution need it. aerial images. property choosing and to market study. validation supernode Resilient Communities; sectors of high-tech and
– by giving them leg-up in how do we create the system Kea is investor-ready and
including foreign markets. services, High-Tech health Services. tech, food, fibre
creating new start-ups and to turn those great ideas into raising capital as we speak.
We This want is an to opportunity provide a clear to upskill and agritech and aerospace and
growing existing businesses in business reality and sustainable Another example in ThincLab is staircase Canterbury’s to success relatively through the future Our business transport. attraction team is
Christchurch.
decent jobs?
Zincovery, making the galvanised incubators. Early stage businesses Are you looking to grow an
In spite of Christchurch’s
On behalf of the city,
steel industry waste-free, which start
poorly-educated
at Te Ōhaka, when
workforce
they
for working to attract additional
early stage technology focused
reputation as a start-up
ChristchurchNZ has recently won the $100k Callaghan C prize move our to future ThincLab economy, or elsewhere to generate business? businesses Contact and jobs Te to Ōhaka the region. at
stronghold, in recent years we invested in Canterbury’s existing and is capital raising right now. after more nine and months better such jobs, as to a increase Ara.
have lagged, rating eighth in New founder incubators, Te Ōhaka at Examples from within Te shared productivity, workspace and or to their raise own living While Are you we looking expect ongoing to grow your
Zealand for the number of startup
businesses overall, and sixth ThincLab at the University of are connecting the world’s
Likewise, at ThincLab,
Contact are many ThincLab green shoots at the and
Ara Institute of Canterbury and Ōhaka include Partly, who offices. standards and wellbeing. start-up economic into disruption, a thriving there business?
for technology-based start-ups. Canterbury.
automotive parts networks using businesses We are supporting receive dedicated Ngāi Tahu’s University opportunities of Canterbury
– one of which is
There is no shortage of ideas This investment will both technology and has just raised business
development
support
of
to
an
accelerate
iwi skills hub to
Are
develop
you looking
a workforce inspiration
that is
here, many of which emanate build the number of businesses $1.7m. Another in Te Ōhaka is its business to the next level and or to turn an idea into a startup?
from our three strong Universities they are able to support, and the Komodo Monitr, a Cloud-based move that out will on create its own stronger or to pathways further Look highly online skilled for and ChristchurchNZ’s
can support a
(Canterbury, Otago, Lincoln) and depth of support as businesses service that proactively detects specialised for young incubation.
Māori into tertiary challenges, thriving and with globally both food, competitive fibre
a renowned Vocational Technical are launched out of both. Each student well-being issues. Or Christchurch’s education and strong skilled and jobs. coordinated
incubator network will to self-employment challenges in
and future agritech economy. and unemployment
Institute (Ara).
year at least 35 businesses will Nearbuy, a mobile app that shows
But the support to turn those be provided the best chance users discounts and deals around not Among only capitalise other projects, on the we ideas are we market Karen right Haigh now. is a Talent
ideas into actual businesses has of success through these
them using geo-location
do working have, it will with also education inspire partners others Simon
Specialist
Anderson
for Innovation
is
not been as accessible as we’d like. partnerships.
At Te Ōhaka and ThincLab, to and start mana or grow whenua their to business increase and ChristchurchNZ’s Regional
and Business Growth at
Now is very much the time to Examples of business growth businesses receive a structured position Christchurch nationally Growth Manager
make support more available for within ThincLab include Kea educational programme to and
aspiration
internationally
and participation
as a great
of ChristchurchNZ
the traditional innovators, those Aerospace. Kea is developing develop their concept into a place students to start in and low-decile grow a schools business in
with great ideas, along with the a solar-powered, unmanned business or to further scale-up the To future-focused ignite innovation tertiary and study great that
will lead to careers in