Project Employ

02/12/2025

It’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and this year’s theme is “fostering disability inclusive societies for advancing social progress”.

What a perfect day to celebrate Flourish Cafe (Air New Zealand)’s 2nd birthday 🎉🎉👏👏

Over the past two years our interns have had over 39,000 interactions with Air NZ employees and their visitors. Natural, positive, daily interactions as coffee is ordered at Flourish Cafe and delivered throughout the building.

We have seen the difference that a sense of belonging and inclusivity has had on both interns and customers. Absolutely life-changing!

Thanks to our amazing coffee partner, Altura Cafe, it was our absolute pleasure to offer free birthday coffee to our Air NZ family this morning.

01/12/2025

Happy Giving Tuesday! Today's the day to give back to your community; give a stranger a smile; give your employees an extra long morning tea break.... there are so many easy ways to 'give'.

But what we'd love you to do this Giving Tuesday, is buy a table for our 2026 Dinner & Auction Fundraiser and help give neurodiverse young adults the best possible chance of gaining employment, and living their best lives. Tickets available at www.projectemploy.nz

Plus, if you'd like your business' name promoted before during and after our charity fundraising event, today's the day to become an official sponsor. Details in the tiles, or contact sarah@projectemploy.nz

Thank you, in advance, for choosing to give to Project Employ 🥰

25/11/2025

Did you know that Hilton Auckland, New Zealand has chosen to partner with Project Employ by creating an internship programme specifically for PE graduates? One of our grads, Shani, was then offered permanent employment and is still loving her role in Banqueting over a year later.

Not only is Hilton Auckland a beautiful hotel in a stunning location, the team there are leading the way when it comes to diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging in the workplace 👏

That's why we are very excited and proud to be holding our March 21st 2026, Dinner & Auction Fundraiser at Hilton Auckland.

Get your tickets/table of 10 today www.projectemploy.nz
It's a Saturday night, so you could stay over and make a weekend of it!

24/11/2025

It is great to see tickets to our 2026 Dinner & Auction Fundraiser selling fast. It is going to be such a fun night - delicious food, great company, and exciting auctions!

You'll also get to experience the incredibly talented, local musician Nathan Fry - a passionate musician, who performs at private events, festivals and markets. At our March 21st event, he'll be performing a set of popular current cover songs and originals, playing live guitar and singing.

As a one-man band, Nathan uses a loop board to overlay beats, bass guitar, rhythm guitar, and vocal harmonies. He can provide chilled background tunes as your guests arrive, dine and mingle, or he can get the party going.

He can work with your professional AV system or provide a high-quality portable PA system. For off-the-grid events, he has an electric generator, and he guarantees excellent sound quality and a professional performance.

Nathan can perform one-off songs at special events such as 'walking down the aisle', farewell celebrations of loved ones, or special ceremonies. Let him know what you are after, and he can customise the music to your needs.

You will not regret hiring Nathan for your next event... but why not buy tickets to our fundraiser and check him out first!

Tickets available now from www.projectemploy.nz
Contact Nathan directly at https://www.nathanfrymusic.co.nz/

See you there!

19/11/2025

What's your favourite precious metal? Platinum? Gold? Silver? Bronze?

If your business is looking for a really impactful charity to support in 2026, we would like to invite you to become an official sponsor of our March 21st Dinner & Auction Fundraiser.

Sponsoring our fundraiser will be life-changing - for the neurodiverse young adults in your community; for your business; and for you!

Please contact hannah@projectemploy.nz for more information.

Thank you, in advance - you are amazing!

19/11/2025

Today we are doing the biggest shout out to Foundation North!

Ever since they first heard about our vision to open a training cafe and help neurodiverse young adults become work-ready and gain meaningful paid employment, Foundation North have been by our side. Not just with funding, but also with the support, advice, and genuine interest of their team in the work we are doing.
A special shout out here to the amazing Josh Martin! 👏👏

Foundation North's aim is to "fund support services, initiatives and events that will enhance the lives of people in our communities", and our trainees and graduates are proof that they are doing just that.

With 41 graduates, 6 trainees about to graduate, and another large cohort starting their training in January, Project Employ cannot thank you enough, Foundation North. You believe in us, acknowledge that there is a real need for training cafes like Flourish Cafe, and you are doing something about it!

17/11/2025

Got 5 minutes? Read this article and watch the short video featuring our amazing Emily.

https://capsulenz.com/thrive/disability-inclusion-at-work/

Emily was one of our very first trainees, and is keen to share her story in the hope that she inspires others to push themselves out of their comfort zone, as well as encourage businesses to give neurodiverse young adults a chance to prove themselves.

A huge thanks to Vivien Beduya and Capsule for giving Emily this platform🙏

Emily once thought she'd never get work because of her autism. Today she's in two roles, showing disability inclusion makes a difference.

16/11/2025

Wondering how you can prolong that relaxed, buzzy weekend feeling for a little bit longer?
Treat yourself/your team to a ticket to the charity event of the year! Project Employ's Annual Dinner & Auction Fundraiser - raising money for, and awareness of, our Employment Programme that helps PE Graduates and their future employers connect.

Saturday March 21st, 2026, at the beautiful Hilton Auckland, New Zealand. Join us at this life-changing event - live music, auction, inspirational stories from our graduates and the amazing (aka lucky) businesses that have employed them, plus a delicious 3 course meal with stunning panoramic sea views. This is an evening you won't want to miss!

So buy your ticket/table today - the PE Graduates and team, ambassadors Shane Cortese, Angela Bloomfield and The Breeze NZ's Kris Edwards, and 'anyone that's anyone', look forward to seeing you there.
Tickets available from our website https://www.projectemploy.nz/

10/11/2025

Thanks to the generosity and support of Aotearoa Gaming Trust, we can continue providing individualised Job Coach support to our trainees.

Our dedicated Job Coaches work alongside the trainees; teaching, guiding and encouraging them during their 6 month hospitality and employability skills training in Flourish Cafe. They help the trainees identify and/or develop strategies that will help them in the cafe, future paid employment, and in everyday life.

Thanks to this grant from Aotearoa Gaming Trust, the neurodiverse young adults that come through our training programme will have the best possible chance of becoming confident employees, and living their best lives.

04/11/2025

We'd love you to join us on March 21st, 2026 at our annual Dinner & Auction Fundraiser.

With MC Angela Bloomfield and auctioneer extraordinaire Shane Cortese (both proud Project Employ Ambassadors), the beautiful surroundings and delicious food of Hilton Auckland, New Zealand, and live music from Nathan Fry, you could not ask for a more fun-filled night out.

We'll hear from Project Employ Graduates about how their lives and futures have been transformed since gaining meaningful employment. Plus, we'll hear from their employers about the positive impact partnering with Project Employ and becoming a more inclusive and diverse workforce has had on their businesses.

So, grab your tickets/table of 10 today and join us at this inspiring and truly life-changing event.
Tickets available via our website https://www.projectemploy.nz/

03/11/2025

Each year we receive so many applications from neurodiverse young adults hoping to enrol on our training programme - motivated to gain meaningful employment, but lacking the employability skills, work experience and confidence to do so.

It is thanks to the generosity of organisations such as Simplicity Foundation that we are able to provide them with the much needed stepping stone between school and employment.

So today we’re doing a huge shout out of thanks to Simplicity Foundation for believing in the work we do and, more importantly, believing in all those hardworking, talented young people that employers would otherwise be missing out on.

Thank you Simplicity Foundation, for choosing to donate to Project Employ! You are amazing 👏👏

02/11/2025

Applications for our January 2026 trainee intake our now.... OPEN!

If you (or someone you know) are:
- aged 18-28
- identify as being neurodiverse and/or have a learning difference
- are one step away from being work-ready, but would benefit from 6 months' job coaching and work experience
- can get to Takapuna for your Flourish Cafe training shifts
.. then apply here! https://www.projectemploy.nz/trainee-application