A 13-year employment relationship

MSD signed a relationship agreement with the Downer Group in 2008 to develop work opportunities for jobseekers. The partnership is one of our largest and most successful Skills for Industry relationships.

It began with Downer New Zealand recruiting MSD jobseekers via listed vacancies. From there it grew into many training programmes embracing the diversity of jobseekers, working with regional teams and setting up to meet industry and New Zealand’s employment needs.

The Downer Ready programme was developed during the 2020 COVID-19 level 4 lockdown to support displaced workers from sectors such as forestry and tourism into new jobs, for example for the roading environment.

In October 2020 we celebrated graduates of the Downer Road Ready programme, run by MSD and Downer, who are now working on local road improvements funded by the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF). The training programme is an induction into how the industry runs, and teaches participants tricks of the trade. Now more than 200 Gisborne locals working on roading projects across the region, all with career development plans in place.

Here’s a video featuring the graduates: https://fb.watch/5UqNRegz1g/

Go back to We worked proactively to get and keep New Zealanders in the workforce