8. Question No. 8—YouthNAISI CHEN (Labour) to the Minister for YouthQuestion No. 8—Youth8. NAISI CHEN (Labour) to the Minister for Youth: What recent reports has she seen evaluating the outcomes of programmes designed to support and empower rangatahi?Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME (Minister for Youth): Tēnā koe te Māngai o te Whare and I mihi to all of the rangatahi that are in the audience today. I have recently received the term 4 2022 update on the Ākonga Youth Development Community Fund which builds on previous pleasing progress reports. The Ākonga Fund was set up to help mitigate the risks of disengagement from education for at-risk ākonga and it's designed to support and empower those who have had their education impacted by COVID-19 and who have had no pathway into further training or employment. As has been previously reported as at the end of term 3 2022 over 6200 ākonga had engaged with funded programmes and that had exceeded our original goal of 5500 ākonga engaging with the programme by the end of 2022. Today I am pleased to inform the House that the success of the Ākonga Fund is further highlighted in the term 4 report with 6743 ākonga having engaged with the programme at the end of 2022. Two key themes emerged: showing increased support for rainbow ākonga and promoting whānau and community connection.Naisi Chen: What examples did the report show regarding the theme of promoting whānau and community connection?Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME: Of those who exited an Ākonga Fund programme 96 percent developed stronger connections with their community. The recent activities of three providers show how this has been done in really creative ways—for example here in the Wellington region alongside Upper Hutt Community Youth Trust ākonga worked with Forest & Bird to plant more than 60 new trees in Upper Hutt. Another great initiative which I personally love was from the Southern Youth Development Trust in Dunedin who ran a bike recycling programme with ākonga. They recycled around 200 bikes and the money was used to buy helmets for people who are unable to afford them. And the Matapuna Trust ran a community painting project with ākonga where they helped clean up graffiti in the community while also meeting their planned post-family group conference and allowing them to be discharged from the court or youth justice.Naisi Chen: How did the report show that Ākonga Youth Development Community Fund providers supported rainbow ākonga?Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME: Members of the rainbow community in Aotearoa New Zealand often face a range of complex issues and are overrepresented in statistics around mental health and discrimination. In term 4 2022 three Ākonga Youth Development Community Fund providers highlighted their work to support and connect this cohort. Triple Summits Services Ltd brought together a small group of rainbow ākonga to explore the rainbow community building confidence and connections and supporting them to feel heard. Te Ora Hou Ōtautahi Inc ran a group named Kanorau Rōpū to support rainbow ākonga in its community. And the Horowhenua Learning Centre Trust ran a rainbow-specific programme which was met with the enthusiasm and positive feedback from ākonga.Naisi Chen: What feedback did the report contain from those who took part in the Ākonga Fund programme?Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME: Through this report we have heard from kaimahi from ākonga and from teachers who all support the positive difference the Ākonga Fund programmes have been making in the lives of our young people. One ākonga told us that they learnt skills which I needed for job interviews and how to communicate well. My mentor was amazing and set up the interview for me where I got my first job." One kaimahi said "We have completed an incredible year of wānanga" and in the words of some of the rangatahi it has not been just life changing but a lifesaving one. As the House can see the Ākonga Fund has resulted in our rangatahi having an increased level of engagement in their learning and aspiration for their future and having transitioned to further training or employment; outcomes I think we can all be proud of."