Answer extracted from the The Otago Opportunity podcast — listen to the full episode below.
How many people has Workforce Central Dunedin placed into employment and trained?
Over five and a half years of operation, Workforce Central Dunedin has placed 312 people into employment and trained approximately 1,300 people in various skills including Site Safe certification, scaffolding work, and cultural awareness courses. With three and a half years of active involvement in the Dunedin Hospital build, the job and skills hub has become the only such facility in the South Island, addressing critical workforce gaps in the region.
Workforce Central Dunedin was conceptualised in 2017-2018 by stakeholders who identified workforce shortages as one of four critical risks facing the construction of the new Dunedin Hospital. The organisation operates as a job and skills hub—a model discussed in detail in the episode—designed specifically to place locals into opportunities created by the hospital build and to help local businesses become supply chain partners.
The scale of training undertaken reflects the breadth of the initiative. Beyond the 312 direct employment placements, the 1,300 people trained encompass entry-level workers seeking apprenticeships and existing professionals requiring upskilling. Training modules address both technical competencies—such as Site Safe and scaffolding certifications—and soft skills like cultural awareness, ensuring workers are job-ready across multiple sectors.
Raymond Clark, the Operations Manager, came to the role with an unconventional background. A trained primary school teacher who previously worked at the Department of Corrections, Clark pivoted into workforce development without prior experience in job and skills hubs. As he explains in the episode, every challenge presented an opportunity to build the model from first principles, drawing inspiration from successful hubs like the Bangaroo job and skills hub in Sydney.
"We put lots of people into jobs that had got nothing to do with construction because there we were and we were working and we needed to do something."
Raymond Clark — Operations Manager, Workforce Central Dunedin. Trained as a primary school teacher and formerly with the Department of Corrections, Clark has led Workforce Central Dunedin since its inception in 2017-2018, directing the hub's growth as it became active on the Dunedin Hospital build in 2020 and delivering employment and training outcomes across the South Island.
The hub's impact extends beyond hospital construction employment. The episode also explores unexpected revenue streams, such as donations from an onsite barber that have been directed to charity, demonstrating how integrated workplace initiatives create community value alongside employment outcomes.
Supporting long-term regional economic resilience
The placement and training figures represent more than raw numbers—they signal a sustained commitment to moving people off benefits and into sustainable employment. For a South Island region historically challenged by workforce availability, Workforce Central Dunedin has functioned as a structural intervention, creating pathways for locals to access opportunities that might otherwise require relocation or external hiring.
The organisation's model has proved resilient enough to adapt beyond its original hospital construction mandate, serving job-seekers across multiple sectors. This flexibility has allowed the 1,300 trained individuals to access diverse career pathways, not merely construction-specific roles.
Key figures at a glance
- 312 people placed into employment over five and a half years of operation
- Approximately 1,300 people trained or upskilled in certified competencies
- Three and a half years of active involvement on the Dunedin Hospital build
- Only job and skills hub operating in the South Island; approximately 7–8 exist in the North Island
See also
What pastoral care and mental health services does Workforce Central Dunedin provide on site?
Workforce Central Dunedin provides a workplace nurse who visits once weekly to screen workers for blood pressure, eye testing, and muscle pain, ensuring worker wellbeing on the hospital build.
What challenges exist in training apprentices on time-limited construction contracts?
Contractors struggle to take on apprentices because the average lifespan of contracts on the hospital build is about eight months, making it difficult to complete apprenticeship programmes within a single contractor's tenure.
What is the return on investment for Workforce Central Dunedin's training and employment services?
A local consultant calculated a return on investment of five to one, based on the number of people taken off benefits and placed into work, measured by their economic contribution and reduced welfare spending.