Kāpiti Business Chamber and
Work Ready Kāpiti Strengthen
Strategic Partnership to Support Local Youth and Business
The Kāpiti Business Chamber and Work Ready Kāpiti have formalised a new Memorandum of Understanding that represents a bold, strategic commitment to supporting Kāpiti’s future workforce and business ecosystem. This partnership signals a united, local effort to strengthen work readiness and confidence of rangatahi—ensuring that opportunities not only meet labour market needs, but also nurture the social, cultural, and economic wellbeing of young people as they transition into adulthood.
“Getting our young people into meaningful, sustainable jobs is fundamental to building thriving communities” said Chair of Kāpiti Business Chamber, Ben Jamison. “This partnership is about local leadership working smarter, not harder—to send a strong message that Kāpiti’s business community is open, connected, and ready to collaborate.”
Kāpiti Business Chamber tangata whenua chair Ben Jamison.
The two organisations bring complementary strengths: Work Ready Kāpiti provides targeted youth education and training on employability skills, while the Chamber offers an established network of businesses, regional partners, and industry insight. Together, they are committed to driving outcomes that meet the expectations of Kāpiti employers, local and central government.
"This is about creating a joined-up, credible workforce development story for Kāpiti" said Chair of Work Ready Kāpiti, John Scutter. "We’re intentionally aligning our strategic intentions and principles so we can attract the right partnerships, funding, and attention—locally and nationally—and make sure that no young person is left behind.”
Initial steps include the formation of a working group and establishing feedback channels to support future programme development for both entities. This is part of a wider, collaborative effort to build local solutions that are scalable, measurable, and grounded in community relationships.