Youth in Emergency Services (YES) is a Ministry of Youth Development project designed to create connections between young people and their communities.
This is the first of its kind in New Zealand.
The four-week pilot project, which finishes on April 7, includes 15 youth taking part in training sessions with different emergency services.
Each Saturday members of the group have a session with a different emergency service - including St John, the Fire Service and Rural Fire, Swift Water Rescue, Search and Rescue and Civil Defence.
After the month-long orientation experience, participants attend an overnight camp where they put their learning into practice through various emergency scenarios.
At the conclusion of the course, youth candidates will be supported to apply to join an emergency service volunteer programme of their choice.
The pilot project graduation will be held on April 7, at Tui Ridge Park from 1pm to 2pm.
Contact Julie Hill on [email protected] or (07) 921 8005 if you wish to attend.