Selwyn_Times: July 13, 2022

AN INITIATIVE to empower
women to join the city’s labour
market has launched in a bid to
counter a Covid-19-based lack
of skilled migrants boosting the
local economy.
ChristchurchNZ, the city
council’s sustainable economic
development agency, developed
PowerUp after Statistics New
Zealand’s household labour force
survey data estimated 20,000
local women could re-enter the
workforce if supplied with the
necessary advice and support.
Designed as an information
hub to connect women with
employment and career
opportunities, PowerUp also
stemmed from a skilled migrant
advocacy paper ChristchurchNZ
and the Canterbury Employers’
Chamber of Commerce
delivered to the Government in
April.
It requested an increase in
skilled migration as the impacts
of an extreme skilled labour
shortage applied the brakes to
Canterbury’s economic growth.
“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,”
said ChristchurchNZ
chief executive Ali Adams.
“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 runs
until November and will
be followed by contact
with potential employers
to equip them with the
right information to
provide, said Adams, “an
attractive and supportive
workplace”.
PowerUp features
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
expert advice from career
coach Claire French and
information
on regional
support agencies,
networks and
opportunities.
There’s
templates for
cover letters and
CVs plus videos
of four women
sharing their
new career journeys.
Dale Jackson, one of the case
studies, owned her own
gym and worked as a
postie, drug tester and
on the Covid-19 helpline
before her current role
in customer service at
Datacom.
She said barriers such
as a lack of confidence,
Dale Jackson
information overload
and a lack of coherent,
NEWS 13
New work campaign to empower women
Claire French
Wednesday July 13 2022 Selwyn Times
HUB: An initiative designed
to help women re-enter
the workforce, PowerUp
connects women with
career opportunities.
PHOTO: GETTY
trustworthy resources are
preventing many women from
taking the next step in their
career journey.
“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?” she said.
Events will also be a key
component of the campaign as
ChristchurchNZ plans forums to
inform women on high-demand
sectors, such as tech, and
facilitates networking with other
women, employers and support
agencies.
ChristchurchNZ marketing
manager business, Kylie Yardley
added a women in tech seminar
was being planned, and an event
designed to ensure members of
ethnic communities were workready
was also on the drawing
board.
• For further
information see www.
powerupyourcareer.co.nz