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Christmas greetings, your chance to win Dave Letele's book and more...
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Warm Pacific greetings,

Welcome to the December 2022 issue of Pacific Connect - The Careerforce newsletter for our Pacific learners. Before we finish up for 2022, we just wanted to wish you a 'Manuia le Kerisimasi', 'Kilisimasi Fiefia', 'Manuea le Karisimasi', 'Meri Kiritimiti' and a Merry Christmas! We hope you find some time to spend a well deserved break with your family and friends. We'll see you again in 2023.

Careerforce Christmas closure:
Our offices close for 2022 at midday Thursday 22 December and re-open on Thursday 5 January at 8am.

Young support worker is 'light in the dark' for high-risk youth

When Jasmine “Jazz” Teleiai received her Level 4 Certificate in Health and Wellbeing in August, she bawled her eyes out crying. “It was the reassurance that I was on the right path,” she says.

The 23-year-old is a Ringa-ki-Runga support worker for Strive Community Trust in Papatoetoe, where she is supporting families into transitional housing. It’s the second role she’s had at Strive, after starting out as a youth worker, and where she has just completed her Level 4 Apprenticeship in Youth Work through Careerforce.

The half-Samoan knew she had always wanted to work with people but wasn’t sure how. After leaving school she tried dental assistance, working across high schools in South Auckland but she knew it wasn’t quite what she was after. So, with her mum already working in Strive’s transitional housing space, the team asked Jazz to join them as a NEET (not engaged in education, employment or training) youth worker.
Jazz (centre) with her manager Joanne-Marie Lawler and Careerforce Apprenticeship Advisor Kailash Devan
Careerforce apprentice awarded Tulī Takes Flight scholarship
Careerforce apprentice, Ngakiri Antonovich has been announced as a recipient of the Tulī Takes Flight scholarship, which aims to acknowledge the ongoing importance of education for Pacific families and communities across Aotearoa.

Ngakiri is doing her Careerforce Apprenticeship in Community Facilitation through Fale Pasifika Te Taitokerau in Whāngarei after recently working as a Financial Mentor in The Salvation Army’s Community Ministries.
Tulī Takes Flight scholarship winner, Ngakiri Antonovich
“It’s a real honour and privilege to be a recipient of the Tulī scholarship. I am very humbled to be chosen,” Ngakiri says.

Keep reading Ngakiri's story >

Book giveaway!
Dave Letele's life has taken him from crime to community, footy to failure, riches to rags (and back again), and from fat to fit. Dave says, "I've been at the bottom and the top, and everything in between...if I can do it, you can." 

We've got three copies of his book 'No Excuses' to give away.

Competition closes on 31 December, and we'll draw winners in January.
Free counselling service for all Careerforce learners
Your hauora (wellbeing) is important!

We can now offer ākonga (learners) across New Zealand access to free confidential counselling through our provider Vitae whenever you need it, via their 24/7 contact centre.

Through this service you will be able to address issues, such as:
  • Personal or study stress        
  • Relationship problems
  • Anxiety/depression
  • Grief/loss
  • Violence
  • Harassment
  • Personal trauma
  • Addictions
Contact Vitae directly:
More information is available on the Careerforce website, including a flyer that you can download to share with others.
New Pacific staff at Careerforce
Ashleigh Clark
I am one of the Learning Management System (LMS) Administrators for the E-Learning team here at Careerforce, based in Christchurch. I have been with Careerforce for four months.

I am New Zealand born, raised in Porirua, Wellington. I have been in a happy relationship with my partner Ioane Ane (full Samoan, New Zealand born) for five years. I am a mother of one, an angel baby. I gave birth to my daughter Audrina when I was 15 years old. Six weeks after birth she passed away unexpectedly from cot death, also known as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Life has been really challenging since she passed away (three grandparents and my aunty passed within a 3-year timespan as well). However, it has taught me that life is short so enjoy it, love hard, time is precious and keep persevering. It also highlighted - based on how I have held myself in front of others - not to judge based on face value because behind a smile you don’t know what someone has or could be going through.

I am very family oriented and will often put my friends and family before myself. I love to surround myself with people who share the same morals, values and beliefs as myself. I also like to be around people who love to have a good laugh. I am ¼ Maori, ¼ American Samoan and ½ European (with a mix of Scottish, Irish and Scandinavian). I was brought up around my Pākehā and Māori family, but I would have loved to have grown up around my Samoan family too. However, they live in American Samoa.

I previously worked at Whakarongorau Aotearoa (also known as Healthline), working under the Ministry of Health for the COVID-19 line. I was a COVID-19 Welfare Supervisor and was then promoted to an LMS Administrator.

Just because I know everyone likes food, I’ll include this in here; I am also an internationally qualified chef and pastry chef. I‘m really excited to be part of the Pasifika whānau and I can’t wait to meet you all.
Loma Rodan
Ni sa bula vinaka.
I started at Careerforce on 12 September as a Learning Engagement Advisor. I am from the beautiful islands of Fiji. My mum’s family is from Vanua Balavu in the Lau group and my dad is a Kiwi. My parents and I moved to Whitianga in the Coromandel when I was 11 years old. I now live in Massey, Auckland with my husband Stino and sons Daryon and Ricky.

I have been working in adult education for over 10 years and while my main role at Careerforce is to support new/trainee assessors, I am also here for anyone who needs help on their learning journey. Studying towards a qualification can be challenging. I have experienced this first-hand but with the right support and guidance, success is possible.
The first step is to ask for help so if you ever need it, please don’t be afraid to ask. We, your Pasifika team, are with you every step of the way.  

I am excited for this new chapter and am looking forward to meeting some of you soon.
Vinaka vakalevu       
Loma

Steve Pesata
Tālofa lava, Mālo ni, Mālō e lelei, Kia Orāna, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Ni sa bula vinaka, Mauri, Noa‘ia, Talofa, Kia ora!

Born and bred in Karaiesetete, I am the first generation Niu Sila (New Zealand-born) of both Samoan and Tokelauan descent, as well as the eldest of five siblings.

Prior to joining the Careerforce ‘Aiga (family) as a Careerforce Apprenticeship Advisor, based in the Karaiesetete (Christchurch) office, I was a Health Coach with Three Rivers Health in Ashburton. My responsibilities were following up on patients with doctors' directives, helping and understanding patients who struggled with health management, and connecting with people from all the cultures that we were there to help, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I am an avid traveler and my favourite all time travel-destination is Singapore (been there 14 times prior to COVID-19)! So, if you want to know any tips and tricks traveling to South-East Asia, especially Singapore and Malaysia, then hit me up!

Mālo lava, Fa’afetai tele Lava. I look forward to connecting with you in the very near future.
Get in touch!
If you need support or would like to get in touch with someone from our Pacific team, please feel free to contact:

Miriama Fetu
+64 3 966 7407
 
Have your say.…
This newsletter is all about you and how we can help support you to achieve your qualification. It’s also about celebrating success. So if you have any stories you would like to share for our next newsletter, please contact our Pacific team.
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