Painting a picture of jobs on offer

IN LIVING COLOUR: A mural on a wall of a block of shops on Swaffield Rd in Otahuhu is encouraging young people to consider a career in health. The mural was designed by bro’ Town artist Ali Cowley and is part of the Counties Manukau District Health Board’s Health Could B 4 U programme.

A cartoon mural painted on a block of shops is encouraging young Manukau students to consider a career in health.

Funded by the Counties Manukau District Health Board local graffiti artists spent two days painting the mural designed by bro’Town artist Ali Cowley on a wall in Swaffield Rd, Otahuhu.

It’s part of the board’s Health Could B 4 U programme which aims to get school students, particularly Maori and Pacific, interested in health careers.

Programme co-ordinator Luke Fleming says there has been a lot of positive feedback since the mural went up.

"We’ve had a lot of good comments from students, health professionals and from people living around the area."

Featuring in the mural is Nigel the Nurse – one of eight cartoon characters designed by Mr Cowley to highlight a handful of the 100-plus health careers at Middlemore Hospital.

"We thought it’d be a great idea to promote fictitious health professionals who could be used as positive role models," Mr Fleming says.

"Even though they’re animated characters and fictitious they are real enough for us to identify with."

Part of the message is to let young people know there are health careers other than being a doctor or a nurse, he says.

He believes many Maori and Pacific pupils are put off health careers because they think they’ll have to study for three or more years.

But there are other jobs such as orderlies or healthcare assistants and some courses take less than a year to complete, he says.

"Only 6 percent of Middle-more’s workforce are Maori and Pacific Island peoples but we serve a community where that percentage is more than 40 percent. What we are trying to do is balance those numbers out."

For information about a career in health call Mr Fleming on 276-0044 ext 9176 or 021-806-710.

- © Fairfax NZ News