Our Training Programme

Learn by doing

Taimahi trainees learn practical skills through daily job rotation in our retail store, commercial kitchen and hothouse. In these enterprises, trainees develop skills in retail, horticulture and food production.

Practical skills learning is supported by personal growth, social and soft skills development.

We deliver this through classroom-style teaching, workshops, and socialisation activities, including group activities, gym classes, and a social club.

Taimahi trainee making a pie.
Taimahi trainee writing on blackboard.

Real-life work experience

  • In the heart of Whangarei, our Taimahi Fresh+ shop sells fresh produce, herbs from our hot house and homemade products from our kitchen.  This is where trainees develop skills in product placement, inventory management, customer service, till operation, and retail best practice.

  • On the same site as the retail shop, our commercial kitchen supports the development of skills in food preparation, cooking, hygiene, and commercial dishwashing, preparing trainees for potential careers in culinary fields.

  • Our hothouse hosts our herbarium. Training involves planting, plant care, propagation, and preparation for sale, with sustainable horticulture practices taught. The herbarium is just out of town in Maunu.

  • Barista training is provided to all trainees at Taimahi Fresh+, through the coffee station in our retail shop. This equips trainees with coffee-brewing techniques, equipment operation skills, and customer interaction practice, preparing them for roles in cafes or coffee shops.

  • Occasionally, trainees will have the opportunity to work on administration tasks. These skills in operations, administration, purchasing, inventory management, customer service, and social media.

  • This is where trainees learn to package, seal and label products including coffee beans, beeswax wraps, dried herbs, and products from the kitchen. As part of this, trainees learn how to make beeswax wraps and dehydrate herbs.

  • Trainees learn to clean kitchen, retail areas, toilets, office and back of house areas to commercial cleaning standard.

  • Developing self-awareness, self-regulation and social skills.

  • Developed in line with the New Zealand employability skills framework: positive attitude, communication, self-management, willingness to learn, thinking skills, problem solving and decision making, and resilience.

Taimahi trainees on the bikes at Crossfit.

“They feel proud and are motivated to get up and get ready for work. They feel good about working and a sense of belonging. They have greater confidence and less anxiety”

— Parent

Trainee working the till.
Trainee making pies in the kitchen.
Trainee cutting herbs.

Supervisors are taught to have high expectations and a belief in trainees

This is supported by personal growth, social and soft skills development delivered through classroom-style teaching, workshops, and socialisation activities, including group activities, gym classes, and a social club.

“We respect our trainees, and they respect us.”

— Retail Supervisor

Join our training programme

If you, or someone in your whanau, is interested in joining the Taimahi training programme, we welcome your expression of interest.

Get in touch by completing the form, we’d love to hear from you.