Calvyn Jonker
Congratulations to Cullinane College, Whanganui, at being awarded runner-up for the Mainstream Employer of the Year Awards held in Wellington on Thursday, 12 October 2006.
This is a real feather in our cap. We are a small Catholic school from Whanganui and there were over 25 finalists from employers big and small, from the North and South Islands.
We currently have three mainstream employees who assist our students with disabilities and also help with maintenance tasks.
Mainstream has operated within the NZ state service since 1976 and is a unique programme which seeks to assist those disadvantaged by disability by giving them opportunities to gain employment within organisations and thereby earning real wages and regaining their dignity in society.
This really ties in well with the ethos of Cullinane College which is to live out the values of Christ in society in a practical way.
The Hon Annette King, Minister of State Services, presented the awards at a glamorous afternoon function.
It was really humbling to see how people have grabbed on to opportunities given to them in the face of many obstacles. I guess I will see opportunities given to me in a whole new light from now on.
Calvyn Jonker is assistant principal of Cullinane College