Last year the Northern Rural Fire Authority, based in Kaikohe, ran a cadet programme. The idea was to get more young recruits into their service and to do something for their community where youth unemployment is high. It was the Authority’s first venture into community education. They planned a course that would run for two days a week for 16 weeks, during which time the cadets would complete up to six NZQA Unit Standards on firefighting techniques and safety. They decided not to advertise but to get a group of 16-24 year olds through WINZ.

By Ailsa Carey, Community Education officer at Marlborough REAP

REAP Marlborough has worked closely with the Pasifika community for many years on a variety of projects designed to help them integrate confidently into the community. Our relationship with Sana Daunauda (PHO and Pasifika Trust) and Lapu Oliver (Pasifika Advocate) helps us to meet their needs.

Three REAPS (Wairarapa, Central Otago and East Bay) recently collaborated on a research project funded by Ako Aotearoa. Their report was published in February 2017 and the REAPS involved held a workshop at the ACE Conference this year.

The main aim of this project was “to discover how successful learning is defined by learners in the ACE sector and how this can inform the programme interventions and activities offered in this learning context”. Forty-three learners, thirteen ACE tutors and fifteen other stakeholders working in the ACE environment took part in focus groups.