SpeedMeet Secures Employment Speed-Dating Style
Students, jobseekers and employers alike are delighted with the recent success of the Auckland Got a Trade SpeedMeet event, which took place at the end of October in South Auckland.
The SpeedMeet concept involved employers, jobseekers and secondary school students coming together speed-dating style, via short six minute mini-interviews. At the end of each meeting employer and student decided whether they wanted to find out more and mutual matches were formed. From there job opportunities could be secured.
SpeedMeet was developed by the industry training organisations that form the Got a Trade? Got it Made! collaboration which aims to raise awareness of careers in the trades and services industries to 16-24 year olds, their parents and school career advisors.
With there being a shortage of employees in a wide range of trades and services industries, especially in Auckland, the SpeedMeet concept was formed to facilitate young people meeting directly with employers looking for new apprentices.
“We were thrilled with how the day went,” said SpeedMeet organiser Rachael Dippie from MITO. “We had more secondary school students attend than we expected – a great sign that our message of how rewarding a career in the trades can be is getting through. Over the day, we had a total of 300 SpeedMeet sessions with over 140 matches made.”
Kim Milne, general manager of human resources for AB Equipment and NZ Trucks, said “half of the students were just looking at what’s available, others had already made up their mind.” Kim was looking for a new heavy machinery technician and came away with a number of matches that are being followed up.
Hirepool, another of the employers in attendance, came away with thirteen matches and after further interviews have already made job offers to several students.
SpeedMeet will return next year as part of the 2017 Got a Trade? Got it Made! campaign.