City Rail Link has created over 2,000 jobs at peak. Our goal is to create positive employment opportunities and ensure a role on the City Rail Link project is not just a job but a career.
To achieve this for our people, the project aims to provide:
employment opportunities with individual career development plans
apprenticeship or pathway opportunities
upskilling and reskilling opportunities that equip people for the present and future.
Our flagship employment programmes include the Progressive Employment Programme and a new programme Te Ana Tūroa: Rangatahi Programme. Each targets a specific part of our social outcomes focus group of Māori, Pacific Peoples and youth.
Link Alliance’s Progressive Employment Programme (PEP)
CRL Ltd is committed to leaving a positive and lasting social legacy and its Progressive Employment Programme (PEP) is a key part of this. The PEP is designed to bypass barriers that prevent rangatahi (young people) reaching the employment start line. The programme receives funding support from the Ministry of Social Development.
"I do believe big companies have an equally big responsibility to make a difference, even a small one, where they can help those who find their way to a job blocked." - Dr Sean Sweeney, Chief Executive, City Rail Link Limited.
The brainchild of Social Outcomes Legacy Manager, Berenize Peita, the PEP welcomes Māori and Pacific rangatahi (young people) between 16-24 years old to the project through a 16-week paid internship.
Successful applicants get to try out a variety of roles within the project while receiving full mentorship, learning development opportunities, and guided work support. Graduates then have the opportunity to secure full time employment following their graduation.
Creating work-ready rangatahi and providing lasting, positive and sustained employment – underpinned by increasing their confidence and providing career and personal development opportunities.
Learn more about the PEP by watching the short video above.
PEP Graduate Profiles
Leuasa Ensink
Leuasa Ensink had never really considered a career in the construction industry before applying but decided to give the PEP a try because she wanted to learn new things, see what she was capable of, and step out of her comfort zone. She's never looked back and values what the internship has taught her about herself. Through her role she grew more confident.
“I’m a good listener, pick up things fast, have good communication skills and I enjoy interacting with people," she says. "The PEP helped me recognise that.”
Leuasa was an intern in Link Alliance’s Progressive Employment Programme (PEP). She made such an impression she now works for the project full-time.
We are so proud of Leuasa and all that she brings to the project. Leuasa believes what makes PEP special is the range of career opportunities interns are exposed to, what they can learn in their roles, and the support interns get from those they work with.
“There’s a great support system. Everyone is so nice.”
She encourages rangatahi to consider applying if they are at a crossroads in their life and are looking for something positive to try.
Atarangi Thompson
When Atarangi Thompson began her journey on City Rail Link in 2019, she never imagined she would find her career pathway and be studying part time at the University of Auckland. The turning point came, when fresh out of high school, and undecided about her future career pathway, the then 19-year-old was presented with the opportunity to be part of the Progressive Employment Programme (PEP). Here she would get her first taste of what a career in environment entailed.
Fast forward to 2022, and you will find Atarangi at Te Waihorotiu Station and Karanga-a-Hape Station sites fulfilling her role as Environmental Administrator. Her main function is to support the environmental advisors, who monitor and manage the impact of the project’s activities on the surrounding environments.
From the start, Atarangi has taken every opportunity presented to develop herself and progress her career. Atarangi has just completed her second semester at the University of Auckland, where she is now studying a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Environmental Science part-time.
Atarangi has also taken part in the Downer Te Ara Whanake leadership programme for wāhine. “The leadership programme is for Māori, led by Māori, in a marae setting with a focus on Māori embracing their heritage, being proud of who they are, where they come from and stepping into the leadership space.” Her greatest take away, was remembering to push herself beyond her comfort zone and to give things a go!
Atarangi gives back in many ways, such as sharing her career journey. She is a popular presenter for the Link Alliance Education Engagement Programme (LEEP) and at external community events.
Programme Overview
Programme goal: To help bypass barriers preventing rangatahi (young people) from getting to the employment starting line.
Programme Design
16-week programme
Hours increase from 8 – 32 per week
Pastoral care partners support each intern
Micro credentials, health & safety, money management, te ao Māori, communication in the workplace, dressing with confidence
Role specific training
Onsite roles and mentors
Programme Benefits:
Key benefits of the programme identified in the evaluation include
Building confidence and competence
Providing relevant work-ready skills
Significantly improving the chances of gaining quality employment in the construction, infrastructure and rail industries.
Programme stage:
First delivered in 2019 the programme is now entering its final stages.
Programme Case Study
The Construction Sector Accord has profiled the PEP as a case study of good practice.
Andy Cochrane Beacons Workstream Lead Construction Sector Accord says: "The progressive employment program was chosen to be a Beacon's case study, not only because of its bold objectives, but because they realise that to make a meaningful impact in the lives of these Rangatahi, they had to truly understand their situation and provide the wrap around support that they needed.
Apprenticeship schemes are still an important part of getting people into this industry, but apprenticeship schemes don't necessarily work for everyone, and aren't available to everyone. Therefore, by broadening the adoption of schemes like this, we can make this a much more inclusive industry, and really open up pathways to the Rangatahi, so that they can stand proudly on their own two feet."
View the full case study
Alignment with Construction Accord
Goal: A skilled and capable workforce that meets New Zealand's growing housing and infrastructure needs.
Outcomes
Career pathways and opportunities to upskill
Greater diversity
An environment that supports thriving mental health and wellbeing.
Principles
Fostering careers to nurture the industry's future
Recognising and rewarding effort and success
Embracing diversity and inclusion
Supporting better outcomes for Māori
Prioritising health, safety and mental wellbeing.
Te Ana Tūroa: Rangatahi Programme
Te Ana Tūroa is an introductory programme for year 13 tauira (students) of Kura Kaupapa Māori and Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa (NKAI) interested in pursuing a career in the construction sector.
The purpose of Te Ana Tūroa is to:
Partner the students with mentors in specific fields
Offer the student hands on work experience during the school holidays (One week in July and one week in September)
Offer two weeks of paid employment at the end of their schooling (November) to build their employability options in the future
Explore financial pathways available to tauira to pursue further study
Te Ana Tūroa kicked off in July 2023 with pilot school Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tapuwae. With the first two tauira joining the Link Alliance whānau for the week. They met mentors, underwent medical assessments, were inducted to the project, and then put to work at our Maungawhau site. Both tauira will be back in September school holidays to continue the programme and will be placed in other facets of the City Rail Link project to gain a deeper overview of the scope and scale of the kaupapa (project).
We thank Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tapuwae and look forward to building Te Ana Tūroa with students in the future.
Awards
The industry celebrated City Rail Link’s PEP in 2020, when it was a finalist for the Social Impact Award at the 2020 ReBuilding Nations Infrastructure New Zealand conference.
See all our awards
Programme Partners
We would like to thank our programme delivery partners
We would also like to thank the CRL Social Outcomes Advisory Group.
