Luxon told business leaders that lifting school attendance was “job number one” in reducing future unemployment.
He said unemployed school leavers needed to “get off the couch, stop playing PlayStation and go find a job”, adding there were plenty of roles available nationwide, including in horticulture.
Richards told the Rotorua Daily Post the reality was more complicated, as “for some of our young people, the education system hasn’t been a positive experience”.
She said Taiohi Tūrama had worked with young people not in employment, education or training for several years and had consistently seen higher rates in Rotorua compared with other regions.
Some had disengaged from mainstream schooling or alternative education, while others continued to feel the impacts of Covid 19-related absences, which made returning to school difficult or unappealing.
Health factors such as anxiety, neurodiversity and mental health challenges also created barriers, along with poverty and wider socioeconomic pressures.
Some young people lacked role models with experience navigating employment or training pathways.
Sometimes it was a combination of issues.
Taiohi Tūrama supported young people aged 15 to 24, though the majority were under 18.
For those under 16, employment was not an option, and they were instead supported into alternative education or training pathways.
Rotorua Business Chamber chief executive Melanie Short (left) asks Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Rotorua MP Todd McClay questions concerning local business leaders. Photo / Michelle Cutelli Photography
Richards said the organisation’s approach focused first on understanding each young person’s background, strengths, goals and support needs before employment was considered.
Wraparound support could include connecting young people with counselling, drug and alcohol services, housing support or financial assistance.
She said there was “no point” putting someone into work if things in their life made it “incredibly difficult” to participate in or sustain employment.
Once those needs were addressed, the focus shifted to work readiness, including communication, teamwork and self-management, along with interview preparation and career exploration.
Young people were also supported with practical barriers such as opening bank accounts, getting identification, improving employer-friendly social media profiles and visiting training providers or workplaces.
Taiohi Tūrama continued supporting young people for at least six months after they entered employment or training to help ensure placements were sustainable.
Red Stag Timber people and safety manager Melissa Bennett (left), Rotorua Youth Centre Trust chief executive Jen Murray, and Red Stag Timber commercial manager Paul Laing at the opening of the refurbished Rotorua Centre for Youth.
Richards said ultimately, reducing youth unemployment required employers to give young people a genuine opportunity to enter the workforce.
Stats NZ figures released on November 5 showed unemployment had climbed to an eight-year high, with 160,000 Kiwis out of work.
The unemployment rate for 15 to 24-year-olds rose to 15.2%, up from 13.1% a year earlier, while the national NEET rate increased to 13.8% in the September 2025 quarter.
Stats NZ said the NEET rate provided a more detailed picture of young people’s engagement with the labour market.
Locals to the rescue
Richards said Rotorua had some “really awesome youth-friendly employers” who were “prepared to understand our young people”.
She pointed to businesses including Red Stag, Lumber One and Novotel.
Red Stag had donated about $300,000 in total to Taiohi Tūrama. People and safety manager Melissa Bennett told the Rotorua Daily Post the company was committed to employing local youth and helping them “get on their feet” and “bloom”.
Native Tech, powered by Rotorua Digital Natives Academy, launched Whakapiri Mahi in October, a programme designed to connect rangatahi with Rotorua employers through short shadow roles and structured internships.
In a press release, co-founder Nikolasa Biasiny-Tule said many local youth were “caught in a catch-22” as no one would give them a chance without experience.
The initiative aimed to provide young people with real-world experience while giving businesses a simple way to invest in the region’s future workforce.
Rotorua Central Mall FreshChoice opened on November 4, creating up to 50 new jobs. Executive general manager Tim Cartwright said the supermarket was taking a “locals-first” approach to employment.
Timezone was set to open at the mall on December 20, creating more than 20 jobs.
The Rotorua Business Chamber worked with the Ministry of Social Development to place jobseekers with local businesses for mentorship, even if they had no jobs to offer, Short said.
Annabel Reid is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post, based in Rotorua. Originally from Hawke’s Bay, she has a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Canterbury.