FutureForce® Action Network (FAN) Events are free to attend and have been developed to highlight the need to offer work based opportunities and training for local youth. 

FAN Events are a meeting point where employers, educators and other agencies are mobilised to:

    • hear from youth and employer champions
    • offer more work experience, jobs, apprenticeships, internships and cadetships to young people in the Waikato region
    • network with other stakeholders i.e. educators, employers, agencies
    • receive resources to assist with successful transitions for youth
    • hear about best practise associated with guiding, developing and retaining youth in the locality

Since FutureForce® Action Network launched in 2013, more than 1200 members have joined.

FAN Resources

Smart Waikato’s suite of FAN Resources help employers develop best-practice youth-focused work experience, internships, apprenticeships, cadetships and jobs. Membership to FAN is free to all Waikato employers, educators, government and community organisations. 

Feedback

“These tools are amazing. I took two FAN Quick Guides away from the evening and gave them to two of our partners. We have managed to organise some amazing employment/cadetship opportunities from these quick guides.” – Kawena Jones, Waikato Tainui

“We have used the FAN tools when offering work opportunities to young people. They have given us simple steps to refine our recruitment processes and to make sure we’re doing things the best way. Since the FutureForce® Action Network event, we have formed an excellent relationship with the team at Hamilton Boys’ High School, which has been invaluable. We’re really pleased because we were always motivated to give opportunities to young people but we’d had a couple of bad experiences. This has given us renewed confidence.” – Chris Savage, NZ Pumps and Electrical

FAN Activate

FAN Activate workshops are professional development workshops held after a FAN event for anyone who is interested in developing work opportunities for young people.

Are you interested in developing a work opportunity for a young person? 

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FAN Outcomes

A survey of 20 local employers (25% of all attendees) who attended the FAN Thames event was conducted 8 months after the event. The findings of this survey are below – hover over the image and use the arrows to scroll through.