Hikurangi Youth Connect – Building Pathways for Our Young People

Last week’s Hikurangi Youth Connect event at the Hikurangi Rugby Club brought close to 50 rangatahi through the doors, along with whānau, employers, training providers and community organisations. The afternoon had a relaxed, positive feel, with young people moving between providers, chatting with employers, and sharing their ideas about what they want to see in Hika.

A big thank you goes to the Ministry of Education, who ran the event and helped bring everyone together. Their support created a welcoming space for kōrero, connection and genuine youth voice.

The Hikurangi Business Association was part of the advisory table, supporting discussions with rangatahi and helping gather feedback about what matters most to them.

A community full of opportunity

One of the strongest messages from the day was that there are plenty of opportunities for young people in and around Hikurangi. Training providers, employers and support organisations came ready to talk about real pathways, from trades and apprenticeships to tertiary study, short courses, youth programmes and local jobs.

Rangatahi had the chance to meet:

• NorthTec and People Potential, sharing training options and study pathways

• Smart Trade Solutions, talking about apprenticeships and entry‑level trade careers

• Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, offering learning opportunities grounded in tikanga and culture

• He Poutama Taitamariki, supporting youth employment and development

• NorthAble (Āhei), providing meaningful, enjoyable work opportunities for tāngata whaikaha

• Federated Farmers and the Whangārei A&P Society, highlighting rural and agricultural pathways and bringing farm animals for hands‑on learning

• Total Life Finance, with Nicola Jenkins, our local finance guru, sharing practical Kiwisaver advice for young people

These organisations show that our community already has a strong base of pathways, and more will be added as providers send through their details.

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What our rangatahi told us

Throughout the afternoon, rangatahi shared heaps of ideas about what they want to see in Hika. Some of these ideas are big, long‑term dreams, and others are things we can champion right now. The HBA will continue to support the opportunities we can realistically deliver, while keeping the wider aspirations in mind as part of future planning.

What they want in Hika:   More Māori culture and learning, more events like Youth Connect, summer bomb comps, go karts or laser tag, parks for pēpi, free kids’ events, summer sports, a community swimming pool, free kai, volleyball and games, a new playground, adventures, motorbike days, a basketball court, ice cream, and more spaces to hang out.

Some of these ideas are outside what we can deliver as a community organisation, but the themes are clear: rangatahi want more activities, more connection, more culture, and more safe spaces close to home. Those are things we can continue to champion.

What happens next

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing more pathway information for rangatahi as providers send through their details. This will be added to the Hikurangi website so young people and whānau can easily find training options, local employers, support services and upcoming opportunities.

A community effort

A huge thank you to everyone who helped organise the day, all the organisations who came along to share information, Four Square Hikurangi, supporting the event and the Hikurangi Mountain Lions volunteers who kept everyone fed with a BBQ. The event was a great example of our community working together to support Hikurangi’s rangatahi and build stronger futures close to home.