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Tauranga teenager Rayvin Adams-Noda left school at Year 9 after he got into fights, was “naughty”, and lost interest in continuing his education.

The 18-year-old now wants to be a tradesman and make a life for himself after participating in a pre-employment programme at the Tauranga Boxing Academy.

Adams-Noda is one of about 10 rangatahi doing the Imagine Believe Achieve (IBA) programme through the Bay of Plenty Youth Development Trust.

The programme – supported by the Ministry of Social Development – helps rangatahi (youth) aged 16 to 24 into jobs or further education. Since its launch in 2020, 70% of its 270 participants have achieved this.

This success is made possible by working with more than 100 local businesses, which provide work experience, job placements and mentorship.

Adams-Noda and participant Levi Hersey spoke to the Bay of Plenty Times and shared their stories with Labour leader Chris Hipkins and Labour education spokeswoman Jan Tinetti at the academy on November 7.

‘It gives me something to do all day’

Adams-Noda said he no longer found school interesting after primary school. He left school at Year 9.

He first did the IBA programme when he was 16. He returned this year for a second time as he felt more “ready” and mature.

Adams-Noda said the “great” programme meant he felt respected and valued.

“It gets me out of the house, it gives me something to do all day ... I’ve made new friends and possibly be with them after the course ... "

Levi Hersey and Rayvin Adams-Noda are among the rangatahi halfway through the Imagine Believe Achieve programme at the Tauranga Boxing Academy.

The self-described “hands-on worker” said he would like to be a tradesman.

The programme had also inspired him to make a life for himself , be financially and mentally stable, to eventually have his own place, and maybe have children.

‘One big family’

Hersey, 18, enrolled in the IBA programme because he did not have much support at home.

He achieved NCEA Level 3, but at times went to school in a bad mood, argued with teachers, was bullied, and got suspended.

“I had a lot of issues and things that I needed to talk about that I couldn’t talk about with people ever in my life.”

He was “a bit wary” about the IBA programme at first but started getting to know everyone.

Now, they were “one big family”.

Levi Hersey and Rayvin Adams-Noda spoke about the Imagine Believe Achieve programme at the Tauranga Boxing Academy during a visit from Labour leader Chris Hipkins and Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti.

He called the academy “a place away from my home and my difficulties”.

Hersey said visiting businesses helped them figure out what they wanted – or did not want – to do for work.

He wanted to become a firefighter because he liked helping and protecting people.

First, Hersey will go on a two-year Latter Day Saints mission overseas.

‘They’re not alone in their battles’

Bay of Plenty Youth Development Trust operations manager Mark Inman said the IBA was a pre-employment programme “based on wellbeing”.

In the mornings, guest speakers shared their stories “so the kids get an understanding that they’re not alone in their battles and being young and trying to navigate their way through life”.

The afternoons generally consisted of site visits to expose them to employment opportunities, he said.

Participants also did a daily one-hour workout and had a cooked lunch.

Inman said the programme focused on the individual’s needs and helped them with self-reflection.

A psychologist, budgeting services and drug addiction and alcohol experts were also available if needed, Inman said.

‘School doesn’t work for everybody’

Tinetti told the Bay of Plenty Times she was passionate about alternative education.

“School doesn’t work for everybody and we heard that from some of the young people here today that there are some issues that we do need to look at and work at.

“It’s really important that as people looking at policy and future policy development that we’re looking at what those alternative ways can look like and then how can we as government enable that to happen and to be supportive of that environment. Still giving the people – such as this place – their autonomy and their uniqueness.”

Tinetti said as a former Merivale School principal, she knew the difference the academy made.

“I’ve seen that personally with the kids that I used to have at Merivale and seen their heads held high and them being hopeful about their futures because they’ve been through this programme.”

Hipkins said to get different outcomes for children, “we’ve got to meet them on their terms”.

“That’s where programmes like this do meet young people on their terms and work out what’s best for them.

“Whereas a lot of what Government does is about ‘well, do you meet that category or that category’ ... and actually in many cases those kids will meet a number of categories or none of them and they just end up not getting the sort of support that they need.

“I think one of the lessons for us is that there’s not one model that’s going to work everywhere ... I think what we’ve got to make sure we’re doing at a government level is creating the environment where we can support community-led solutions.

“Because a lot of it will come down to having really passionate people who can do something in a local community that’s going to work for those young people and this programme clearly does."

 is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.