Gardens@sẏd
For over fifteen years, Gardens@sẏd has provided rangatahi who are work ready and willing an opportunity to participate in real work - earning money and gaining skills on the job.
Gardens @ sẏd is one of the Southern Youth Development's cornerstone experiences.
The tīma at sẏd work in partnership with the Dunedin City Council Gardens team at the Dunedin Botanic Gardens where trainees support the Gardens with lawn mowing, cleaning and hard surface maintenance.
This allows us to provide young people with a first time experience of paid work.
How does gardens@syd work?
Rangatahi are given an opportunity to develop their skills within a work place with the guidance of a supervisor. The supervisor ensures the trainees are learning workplace etiquette. Not only are they learning how to get a job but are also learning how to keep a job. Young people are given maintenance tasks to complete with the guidance of the supervisor until they are confident to do so on their own. Gardens@syd provides a safe environment for young people to learn what it is like to have a job.
Trainees who finish their role with us leave with references, on-the-job qualifications and pathways into future employment with similar businesses.
This programme is only possible because of generous funding from the Dunedin City Council. Whakawhetai ki a koe mo to tautoko.
Gardens trainees learn new skills including how to use light machinery.
Working as a team, trainees learn soft skills as well as practical skills.
Keeping to a schedule is an important aspect of their skill building for trainees.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are young people selected to be a trainee?
Young people must be work willing and work ready - meaning that they have to be able to commit to the role, just like a real full-time job. If engagement in education or employment is a challenge for a young person, they may be better suited to other support at sẏd before being considered for a Gardens role. We want the young person to succeed in their role, so they must be willing to get stuck in just like they would in a real job.
Do trainees get paid for their role at the Gardens?
Yes - all trainees are paid for their roles as they are employed by our team and are subject to all employee/employer laws just like in any other job.
What further employment options are there once trainees have finished their role?
Around 85% of our trainees go on to other employment once completing their trainee role with us. Common employment for our ex-trainees are in environmental infrastructure and apprenticeships in the environmental sector. Other trainees go on to employment in retail, customer service or another trade as this programme supports employable skills not just gardening and maintenance skills.