Northland Business Excellence Awards

He Poutama Taitamariki Award (Youth Employee/Employer of the Year)

He Poutama Taitamariki Award (Youth Employee/Employer of the Year) nominees will be young people who have moved from receiving support from Ministry of Social Development to sustained employment.

This award focuses on the young person’s achievement in demonstrating excellence in their work having overcome adversity or challenges in their life. This award also recognises the role of the employer in creating conditions fostering success and sustainability.

Nomination criteria:

Nominees must reside in Northland, or be in employment in the Northland region.

  • The nominee should have previously been receiving support as an MSD client within the past 3 years (excluding. Youth Services)
  • The nominee should have completed at least 12 months support through the He Poutama Taitamariki programme.
  • The nominee must have been in employment for at least 12 months.
  • The nominee inspires others to achieve and has made a significant life change as a result of sustained employment.

Nominees must be aged between 18 and 25 years of age on 15 September 2025 and can only be nominated by their employer.

Please complete the nomination form or submit a voice memo entry below.

Voice memo entries should include answers to the questions in the nomination form below, be a maximum of two minutes long, and no larger than 250MB.

Please note: one nomination per person.

Nominations for the He Poutama Taitamariki Award NOW OPEN!

Last day for nominations: Friday 3 October 2025

Nominate: He Poutama Taitamariki Award (Youth Employee of the Year)

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  • All submissions need to cover the following questions.

  • Please complete this field OR answer as part of your submission (ie: written, video, photos, art etc.)
  • Please complete this field OR answer as part of your submission (ie: written, video, photos, art etc.)
  • Please complete this field OR answer as part of your submission (ie: written, video, photos, art etc.)
  • Please complete this field OR answer as part of your submission (ie: written, video, photos, art etc.)
  • Please complete this field OR answer as part of your submission (ie: written, video, photos, art etc.)
  • Uploaded entries should include answers to the questions in the nomination form above. Voice memo entries to be a maximum of two minutes long, and no larger than 100MB. Please be patient, your upload may take a few minutes. Please be patient, you upload may take a few minutes.
    Max. file size: 100 MB.
  • Please be patient, you upload may take a few minutes.
    Accepted file types: jpg, png, Max. file size: 5 MB.
  • You don’t have to tell them they are nominated, its just for our reference.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

About the Ministry of Social Development – Supporter of the He Poutama Taitamariki Award (Youth Employee/Employer of the Year)

The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) delivers public services for New Zealanders through:

  • employment, income support and superannuation services
  • funding to community service providers
  • social policy and advice to government
  • student allowances and loans
  • social housing assistance.

In Northland, the focus is on making a positive and lasting difference in the lives of Northland people, by supporting whanau to take the lead in shaping their future.

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