13 October 2026 Clutha District Council has brought in a new team to help young people in the district find work, training or study, with three appointments across two programmes.
13 October 2026
Clutha District Council has brought in a new team to help young people in the district find work, training or study, with three appointments across two programmes.
Helen van der Linden and Tiana Milford have been contracted to run the council's long-running Jobbortunities employment programme. Tanya Ridings has joined the council as Rangatahi Pathways Manager, working with teenagers who are not in work, education or training.
Both programmes are funded by the Ministry of Social Development, so the council says they are rates neutral. In other words, they cost ratepayers nothing.
Two programmes, two age groups
The team covers two age groups with different needs.
|
Programme |
Who it helps |
Led by |
|
Jobbortunities, part of the Mayor's Taskforce for Jobs |
People aged 18 to 24 |
Helen van der Linden and Tiana Milford |
|
Rangatahi Pathways, the local delivery of MSD's He Poutama Rangatahi |
15 to 19-year-olds not in employment, education or training |
Tanya Ridings |
The Mayor's Taskforce for Jobs is a national partnership between mayors and the Ministry of Social Development focused on youth employment.
Jobbortunities is not new. It was launched in 2014 by then-mayor Bryan Cadogan and then-programme coordinator Ruth Carraway. It works with young adults and local employers, helping with recruitment, matching candidates to jobs, training and ongoing support once someone is in work.
Rangatahi Pathways is aimed at a younger and often harder-to-reach group. Teenagers who are not in work, education or training are sometimes described by the shorthand NEET. The programme links them with schools, training providers, employers and community groups, with pastoral care alongside.
It officially begins on Wednesday 4 November, but Ridings has already received referrals and is meeting schools and families.
Keeping young people in the district
For a rural district, the programme is about more than individual jobs. It is also about whether young people see a reason to stay.
Van der Linden, the programme manager, lives in Tapanui and says she is a strong advocate for rural communities.
"I want young people to see a future for themselves in our region," she said.
She says people who feel valued and connected to their community are more likely to stay and build a life in Clutha.
Milford, the programme coordinator, grew up in Balclutha and says she enjoys helping people recognise their strengths and build confidence.
Ridings comes from an education background. She describes the chance to help rangatahi build futures through education, employment and connection as "very exciting".
What the mayor says
Mayor Jock Martin described the appointments as a long-term investment in young people and communities.
He says the aim is to support young people into work, education and training while helping local businesses find the right staff.
That second point matters for employers. Rural businesses often struggle to recruit, and the programme is designed to work both sides of the problem.
A wider support team
The new staff will work alongside the council's youth worker, Rachael Walker. She says the combined team can offer young people a "wraparound" approach, meaning support with different challenges at once rather than one problem at a time.
All three areas are led by Lilly Paterson, the council's community development team leader, who also works with the Clutha District Youth Council.
Where to find them
The team is based upstairs at Te Pou Ō Mata-Au, the Clutha District War Memorial and Community Centre in Balclutha. Appointments are available, and Jobbortunities is also running regular drop-in sessions around the district.
|
Location |
Day |
Time |
|
Milton Toko Hub |
Tuesday |
9am to 4pm |
|
Lawrence Community Library |
Tuesday |
2pm to 4.30pm |
|
Tapanui Community Library |
Wednesday |
8.30am to 4.30pm |
Anyone wanting to refer a young person to Rangatahi Pathways can contact the council now.
What remains unclear
The council's announcement does not say how much MSD funding is involved or how long the contracts run.
It also does not include results from Jobbortunities' 12 years of operation, such as how many young people it has placed in work. Nor does it say how many Clutha teenagers are currently not in work, education or training.
Those figures would show how big the challenge is, and how well the approach is working.
What happens next
Rangatahi Pathways starts on 4 November, and the drop-in sessions are under way.
The real test will come over the next year: whether the team can reach young people who are not already looking for help, and whether local employers take them on.
Source: Clutha District Council.
