A Nelson not-for-profit has become a hive of activities, supporting young people with disabilities to successfully transition from their school environment into the workforce.
The Buzz, based in the Habitat for Humanity Hub in Tahunanui, is helping participants of its programme by providing practical advice and work experience in settings such as the onsite store, foodbank, and café.
“The Buzz is a work skills programme aimed at young people between 18 and 30 with neurodiverse needs,” says Jane Linn, Co-Chair of The Buzz.
“We run a work skills programme, practical hands-on work collaborating with other organisations.”
According to Stats NZ, for the June 2023 quarter, the employment rate for disabled people aged between 15 and 64 years was 39.4 percent compared to employment of 81.7 percent for non-disabled people.
Jane says there are a range of barriers to employment for people with neurodiverse needs, including accessibility or health and safety issues; communication and fear of not knowing what to say or how to react if things don’t go to plan, and people seeing the disability first rather than the person, resulting in stereotyping.
The Buzz was formed in 2021 by parents who wanted to address these barriers, providing a pathway from school into the community for young people with learning disabilities.
So far, The Buzz has helped more than 30 people gain the skills, knowledge, and confidence to take the next step into employment through support tailored to meet individual needs.
Groups run for three hours every Wednesday and Friday, providing various work experience opportunities at The Restore Shop, The Food Bank or Nook Café.
Jane says the programme aims to move young people into the workforce when they are ready by setting them up with both the theoretical knowledge required and practical life skills and work experience.
“We want to see them succeed and build that confidence,” says Jane.
“When they move into that employment situation, you know, it can be a big, scary place and we want to make sure they’re equipped with everything they need, and to support that employer so it’s sustainable and it will continue.”
Participants will learn how to time manage, arrange their transport, work as part of a team, develop CV writing and interview skills, and prepare individual work plans.
A team of Work Skills Facilitators also support by educating participants about their entitlements and responsibilities as paid workers, including different types of employment contracts, leave entitlements, taking breaks, and workplace codes of conduct.
“The Buzz is a safe space,” says Work Skills Facilitator Jana.
“It’s just a natural environment for them (participants) to do the jobs that are being asked of them, but also have the space to just be themselves.”
Jordan is a programme participant who has been with The Buzz from the beginning. He is now one of the team leaders and says his confidence has grown through the programme.
“I’ve been here since day one and I was so shy and nervous, and now I’m one of the leaders in charge of the team,” says Jordan.
“As I’ve grown, I’ve built my confidence up a lot.”
Staff and volunteers at The Buzz provide ongoing support to employers by making themselves available to observe, identify and troubleshoot issues in the workplace. The organisation also encourages employers to support different ways of thinking about work, for example, using visual references such as job lists and labels to assist young people with their work tasks.
For Jane and her team, participants and employers must feel supported to remove isolation and ensure the communication channels remain open.
Rātā Foundation supports The Buzz through the Foundation’s Learn funding priority area.
“For communities to thrive, it is important people have equitable opportunities to learn,” says Rātā Chief Executive Leighton Evans.
“By providing meaningful opportunities to engage in work, The Buzz is helping to set young people who face barriers on a path to success - developing skills, knowledge and confidence to carry with them throughout their lives.”
As for the impact The Buzz is having on young people in the community, Jane says the feedback they receive is worth the time investment from their team of three part-time staff and 12 volunteers.
“You know, our young people come in and they say this is the only thing they want to get up in the morning for, and when we hear things like that, it’s amazing,” says Jane.