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Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Valentine has recently welcomed Mr. Willie Toelau to the role of ATTTO Schools Liaison Officer.

“The appointment of Willie to the team is indicative of ATTTO’s commitment to strengthening our service provision and product delivery in this important market,” says Valentine. 

“Our Schools Liaisons play a critical role in attracting potential trainees into our industries. Building capacity in this area means we are increasingly becoming better placed to respond to up-coming government initiatives such as Schools Plus. The strategy we’ll progressively put in place with schools will support young people and their parents in choosing careers in aviation, tourism, travel and museums. As early as year 10 people need to start thinking about what subjects to take in relation to a career,” she says.

Willie joins the team alongside existing Schools Liaison Roger Brittain.

“With both Roger and Willie out talking to young people and their careers advisors, and ATTTO’s drive to provide much better materials for programmes such as Gateway, we’re gearing up to really make a difference. We want to help influence both the quality and number of young people interested in careers in the sectors we represent.”

Brittain believes the appointment will immediately lift the level of support ATTTO is able to offer schools. “We have a wealth of opportunities and initiatives to offer students in the coming year,” he says. “Having someone on board with Willie’s experience means the role of Schools Liaison can now be expanded both geographically and in the level of services we can offer schools.”

Willie spent the past year working as a Schools and Employment Advisor at Tools4Work. Prior to this he spent 12 years managing recruitment companies which looked after a variety of trades people.

“In my recruitment role we used to look overseas to find the trades people we needed to fill the skills gaps in New Zealand,” explains Toelau. “The children we have in our own backyard are the ones we should be looking at training and developing.”

A key function of the Schools Liaison role is to educate the next generation of New Zealand’s workforce on their career options and support them in creating a suitable study pathway to get where they want to be.

“I love working with youth and ATTTO has a huge range of career paths to offer students. I am looking forward to being able to raise awareness of exactly what is available and helping students to get a realistic idea of what a career in these industries could offer them.”


Willie Toelau

For more information on how our Schools Liaisons can support you, contact:

Willie Toelau
Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Rotorua, Taupo, Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay, East Cape.
027 282 5103

Roger Brittain
Taranaki, Manawatu, Wairarapa, Wellington, Nelson/Marlborough, Canterbury, West Coast, Otago.
027 488 5087