2025 was a year of green shoots. Candidate numbers remained high and job listings stayed low, but our community rallied. Thousands of students and recent graduates joined our programme seeking skills, confidence, and connection – and together, we helped them take meaningful steps toward their future careers.
Despite the continuation of 2024’s tight job market, there was plenty to celebrate: employers who had paused hiring returned with renewed commitment, sponsors re-engaged, and new organisations came knocking for the first time, eager to find fresh talent. And with 2,906 live candidates registered when we closed signups in August, the junior talent pipeline remained strong as we shifted our focus to preparation and support for recruitment season.
Across the motu, our events brought the community together: Auckland and Wellington Meet & Greets saw strong employer turnout, our Community Zone expanded to Wellington, and new food and beverage sponsors kept the energy high. Our sponsors helped provide $4K in scholarships and financial assistance to 32 people, including Māori, Pasifika, female, and gender-diverse students – to ensure they were supported to participate fully in recruitment season.
