Palmerston North staff at the Corrections stall
during Te Matatini: From left, Senior Probation
Officer Tracey Tapa and Probation Officers Dean Wilson
and Kylie Whaiapu.
Corrections staff took the Department’s recruitment message at the country’s largest kapa haka festival, Te Matatini, in February.
Te Matatini attracts thousands of Maori performers and spectators from all over the country in a competition that inspires pride in both cultural and tribal identity.
Staff from the Public Prisons and Community Probation Services in Wellington, Palmerston North and Wanganui shared an exhibition stall to raise awareness of Corrections and to tell as many people as possible about career opportunities in prisons and the community.
National Adviser Maori Service Development Lawrence Tawera, who was on the stall for two of the three days, says the response was encouraging.
"The festival gave us an ideal target for the Department’s nationwide campaign to attract more Maori staff - especially Probation Officers, Community Work Supervisors and Corrections Officers."
The CPS staff sported a t-shirt featuring the corporate kowhaiwhai design and bi-lingual logo.
"Lots of people we spoke to were looking to move from other jobs. Many already knew about Corrections but were surprised at the range of opportunities."
"We gave out lots of application packs for people to consider and it’ll be great if some of them see a future in working with us."
Public Prisons Service (PPS) staff brought both enthusiasm and experience to the venture. Regional Adviser Maori Service Development, Te Waihanea Hakaraia, organised a PPS stall at the festival two years ago.
She says the joint effort this year showed positive cooperation within the Department and proved the contribution Maori staff can make to relationship building.
"We know Maori people feel more comfortable approaching other Maori and asking questions they might think are 'silly', so it was great to have Maori staff on the stall at Te Matatini."
Te Waihanea says most of the PPS staff on the stall were new to Corrections and the festival was a good opportunity for career development and networking.
Corrections staff also got the recruitment message out in Taupo and Tauranga.
In Taupo, the local timber mill will be closing down in June this year, with an estimated 110 jobs lost. Corrections organised a special seminar to tell mill workers about job opportunities as Probation and Corrections Officers. Regional Adviser Maori Service Development Danny Morehu says 38 people from the mill attended and that he was told Corrections was the first organisation outside of the timber industry to make an approach and leave a positive impact on the workers.
At the Tauranga Community Probation Service recruitment day, Service Manager Michael Sach says around 40 interested people attended and that one person who came in the morning returned in the afternoon to say he’d already put in his application.
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ISSN 1178-8453