Project Employ

10/03/2026

Tuesday Quiz!
Question: Which item will be in our March 21st charity auction, held at the beautiful Hilton Auckland, New Zealand?

a) A luxury hamper from Cambridge Stud
b) Two nights' accommodation at Fern Valley Retreat
c) One year's worth of Red Bull
d) Private use of a 28 seat cinema at Takapuna Beachside Cinemas
e) Two bottles of red wine, donated and signed by Sir John Key

Answer: All of them plus SO many more, and that's just in the silent auction!

Don't miss out on your chance to go home with an amazing auction item and the knowledge that you have personally made a difference to the lives of so many.

Tickets/tables of 10 from www.projectemploy.nz

05/03/2026

If you can't make it to our Dinner & Auction Fundraiser but want to show your support, how about bidding on this?
https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketplace/sports/rugby-league/other/listing/5811480404

Framed rugby shirts signed by the South African Springboks and New Zealand All Blacks teams that played in the 50th Test Match on July 25th 1998, in Wellington.

Thanks to the generosity of Ricoh New Zealand Limited, proud sponsors of our March 21st fundraiser, all money raised from this Trade Me auction will go directly to our Employment Programme - supporting neurodiverse young adults into meaningful, paid employment; and supporting employers to see and reap the benefits of employing them.

Thank you SO much, in advance 🙏

www.projectemploy.nz

Charity No. CC59759

05/03/2026

There's still time to get your tickets/tables to the charity event of the year! But not much time!! Saturday March 21st... Hilton Auckland... 3 course meal... bubbles... live music... silent & live auctions...

Plus, thanks to the amazing team at Ingham North Harbour (175 Wairau Road), you could bid for a weekend's use of a 2026 Isuzu MU-X XT 3.0 D 4WD 🚗

We'd love you to join us for what's going to be a fun and inspiring evening, and all for a great cause - raising funds and awareness of Project Employ's Employment Programme.

Tickets/tables available from www.projectemploy.nz

04/03/2026

Introducing Project Employ trainee... Troy 🤩

"Hi, I’m Troy. In my spare time I like playing board games. I joined Project Employ as a trainee because I hope to learn new skills and gain work experience that will help me get a job in the future."

04/03/2026

Introducing Project Employ trainee, Damon!

We first met Damon last year, when he completed work experience at Flourish Cafe, Takapuna as part of Albany Senior High School, Auckland’s Gateway Programme.

He enjoyed it so much he applied for our six month training programme, and it was our absolute pleasure to offer him a place. You’ll find him in our Air New Zealand Flourish Cafe - 185 Fanshawe Street, Auckland CBD

“Hi, I’m Damon. I am 18 years old and a trainee at Project Employ. In my spare time I like to swim and play video games. I joined Project Employ to help me prepare for paid employment for future jobs, and to get work experience”.

03/03/2026

Happy Wednesday!
You’ve now met all 8 Project Employ trainees based in Flourish Cafe, Takapuna.

Today, we’re really excited to introduce those based in our Air New Zealand Flourish Cafe (185 Fanshawe Street, Auckland CBD). So pop in for lunch next time you’re in the area, and say hi!

First up is the amazing Harry! 👏👏

“Hi, my name is Harry. My goal as a Project Employ trainee is to gain work experience and learn to be more open with others. In my spare time I like gaming, drawing and watching YouTube videos”.

02/03/2026

Introducing Project Employ trainee, Noah 👏

“Hi, I’m Noah. I became a Project Employ trainee to learn about working in a cafe and to get out of my shell and become more confident. I love meeting new people and going to new places. I would love to live in Australia and do some diving there one day”.

01/03/2026

Can you believe it's March already?

Our new trainees have only been in Flourish Cafe for a few weeks, but their confidence is already growing thanks to the patience and support they are receiving from our amazing cafe customers.

If you haven't had the pleasure of meeting him yet, here's Project Employ trainee, Sebby 🤩

"Hi, my name is Sebby and I am 20. I like gaming and learning about cars and technology, and I go for a run most days to get more fit. I became a Project Employ trainee to gain new friends and increase my confidence. The cafe will hopefully give me valuable skills and experience. A future job in the automotive or technology sector sounds very interesting to me".

26/02/2026

Happy Friday, from all at Project Employ!

Feeling hungry? Then pop into Flourish Cafe and grab a delicious filled croissant or tasty Louise Slice. If you're lucky, you may even be served by Project Employ trainee Bayley 👏 👏

"Hi, my name is Bayley and I am 24. In my free time I like playing video games on my PS5 and going to the movies with my friends. I especially like horror movies. I became a Project Employ trainee to gain work experience, to learn new things and to meet new people".

26/02/2026

Introducing Project Employ trainee…. Abby! 👏

“Hi, my name is Abby. I like music and dance. A few of my goals are to get my drivers license, move out of home, and go travelling. I joined Project Employ to gain confidence in a work place”.

25/02/2026

Today we have the great pleasure of introducing Project Employ trainee.... Carter! 🤩

If you're in Takapuna, please pop into Flourish Cafe (19 Como Street) and say hello. 🧁

"My name is Carter. As a trainee here at Project Employ my goal is to learn and develop new skills so I can get paid employment in the future. I am happy and excited to learn all the jobs while I am here. At home I enjoy playing video games, listening to music and being on YouTube".

24/02/2026

It is such an honour to be able to share our story and experiences in Whaikaha - Ministry of Disabled People and New Zealand Disability Employers Network’s new, and much needed resource and information hub https://oneinsix.nz/

Initiatives like Project Employ can only do so much - we need employers to do their part too. There are so many skilled, reliable neurodiverse job seekers in New Zealand that businesses are missing out on.

Make today the day that you check out https://oneinsix.nz/ then reach out to emily@projectemploy.nz to begin the very easy process of employing a Project Employ graduate 👏👏👏

Real change starts when we challenge our assumptions.

Project Employ supports neurodiverse young adults into paid work, and around half their staff are neurodiverse.

They’ve learned that good employment practice comes down to listening, flexibility, and clear communication.

The biggest barrier? Fear. Employers worry they’ll say the wrong thing, so they say nothing.

Their advice? Just ask.

Support starts with a conversation, not assumptions.

And their experience shows the cost of hiring neurodiverse staff is no different to anyone else.

Read their full story on One in Six – a new website to help businesses feel confident hiring and supporting disabled people in the workplace.

Link in comments ⬇️

Image description: two people sit at a white table, looking at a laptop screen. One person has a clipboard and pen and is writing. On the wall behind them are framed staff photos and a white star. A “1in6” logo is in the bottom right corner.