Māori & Pasifika Trades Training scales up

The Government today announced the first seven groups selected for the expansion of the Māori and Pasifika Trades Training initiative.

The joint initiative between the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Tertiary Education Commission was announced in Budget 2013 and provides $43 million in funding over four years to encourage Māori and Pasifika people aged 18 to 34 to gain qualifications, New Zealand apprenticeships and employment.

“With the Christchurch rebuild and a growing economy, the demand for skilled trades people is already high and will only increase over the next few years,” Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce says.

“This initiative provides the opportunity for young people to develop skills in trades that are needed right now and, in the long term, will benefit them right through their working lives.”

“The Maori and Pasifika Trades training initiative works directly with Maori and Pasifika whanau and communities to get young people into meaningful trades skills and apprenticeships,” Associate Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Tariana Turia says.

“It builds on the Pasifika Trades Training Initiative and He Toki ki te Rika, and will boost the number of places from 600 to 3000 a year by 2015.”

Mr Joyce says the initiative is one of a number being undertaken by the Government to build sustainable employment in Māori and Pasifika communities, and make a greater contribution to New Zealand’s economic and social development.

The seven groups, or consortia, chosen so far will work with MBIE and TEC following the finalisation of funding contracts. They are led by:

· Te Tapuae o Rehūa (He Toki ki te Rika, in Canterbury focused on construction trades)

· Te Tapuae o Rehūa (Whenua Kura, in Canterbury focused on agriculture);

· Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT) Pasifika Trades;

· Youth Futures Trust in Hawke’s Bay;

· Te Rūnanga o Turanganui a Kiwa in the East Coast;

· Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) in the Waikato; and

· A joint WelTec/Whitireia programme in greater Wellington.

The Māori and Pasifika Trades Training initiative has been developed to ensure training is aligned to the needs of both employers and learners. They will leverage the knowledge and networks of Māori, Pasifika and other community groups to recruit and support learners. All of the groups announced include employers and Māori and/or Pasifika organisations, and tertiary education organisations.

A request for proposals for the initiative was released in September with 38 proposals received – 35 of which met the compulsory requirements. MBIE and the TEC are finalising funding agreements with the selected groups with delivery expected to begin shortly, and are in further discussions with eight additional groups.

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