Twelve students from Porirua colleges have begun internships at Porirua City Council this week, gaining real-world experience through the Mahi Rangatahi programme, now in its fourth year of supporting youth career development. Students from Mana College, Aotea College, and — for the first time — Te Kura Māori o Porirua are participating in the initiative, which provides practical experience across several Council departments including Emergency Management, Communications & Marketing, Arena Fitness, Pātaka Art + Museum, Economic Development, Strategic Partnerships, and Business Technology Support.
Launched as a pilot in 2022, Mahi Rangatahi was developed in response to feedback from local schools about the need for more meaningful career exposure for students. The programme goes beyond traditional work experience by guiding participants through the full job application process — from writing a CV to completing interviews — and culminates in a reference from their manager to support future employment opportunities.
“The programme develops each year as we receive feedback from the students about what they’ve thought of their experience working at Council,” said Porirua Mayor Anita Baker. “It’s more than just work experience — the students go through an interview process and after their internship wraps up, their manager provides them with a reference to help them into future roles.”
To further support young people exploring career paths, the Porirua Careers Expo is also returning this year. It will be held on Tuesday 13 May from 9.30am to 4.30pm at Te Rauparaha Arena. For more information visit:
https://poriruacity.govt.nz/business/events-and-training/porirua-careers-expo
