BUILDING A FUTURE WHERE MĀORI THRIVE
in construction and infrastructure, honouring cultural values, boosting wellbeing, and championing opportunities.
64,206
Total number of Māori in C&I workforce
8,989
Total number of wāhine Māori in C&I workforce
21%
Total number of Māori C&I learners (enrolled) - 2022
Unlocking the Potential of the Māori workforce
Unlocking the potential of the Māori workforce is vital for transforming New Zealand's Construction and Infrastructure sector. With a diverse Māori population, there are significant opportunities to harness. However, barriers remain, including the need for greater awareness of career pathways, the importance of fostering culturally inclusive workplaces, and ongoing challenges in addressing skill shortages.
Strengthening collaboration with Māori communities, including businesses, iwi, and hapū, will be key to creating supportive environments that prioritise whānau well-being and sustainable career development. As we explore the landscape of opportunities and challenges, fostering partnerships and a shared understanding is vital for nurturing a vibrant work culture within our communities.
Kaitaka Paepaeroa Māori Workforce Development Plan
As Waihanga Ara Rau’s first Māori Workforce Development Plan, this project not only gathers the voices of Māori in the Construction and Infrastructure industry but also strongly commits to honouring the principles of Te Tiriti and building meaningful partnerships. It ensures that Māori perspectives are at the heart of shaping the industry’s future.
Workforce Development Themes and Recommendations
Interviews with 60 participants were conducted within a kaupapa Māori framework, revealing valuable insights into their professional and personal experiences in the Construction and Infrastructure sectors. These findings highlight key themes and recommendations that pave the way for a more inclusive and impactful future in the industry.
He toiora ringarehe
Workforce wellbeing
Māori business owners integrate kaupapa Māori values and principles into their everyday work lives. They signify the importance of creating a whānau-centric workplace that is culturally, physically, and spiritually safe for the wellbeing of their employees and whānau. Interviewees express challenges when recruiting from diverse demographics and needing further financial support to retain and upskill their employees. Despite these challenges, Māori in industry are striving to progress their workers towards sustainable careers in the industry. The genuine care and effort demonstrated by those interviewed exemplify their dedication and commitment to providing opportunities for their employees, whānau and hapū, to flourish.
Recommendations:
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Update the definition of ‘pastoral care’ nationwide.
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Update ‘pastoral care’ provisions for Māori holistic workplace wellbeing.
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Promote wāhine Māori workplace conditions.
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Increase Ministry of Social Development (MSD) funding.
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Expand social procurement to be specifically inclusive of tāngata whaikaha.
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Collaborate with Māori communities.
He ara rau
Pathways
Recognising the strengths and barriers experienced by Māori in education is key to developing successful and progressive career pathways. The deciding factors that guide Māori learners in making career decisions continue to be a values-based system of beliefs, confidence in their abilities, and access to the right information supported by their whānau and peers. Collaboration and explicit pathway planning by schools, industry, whānau, and Iwi are needed to address recruitment, increase retention, and progress Māori in the Construction and Infrastructure industry. This theme clarifies the Career Progressions for Primary and Secondary students in the New Zealand Curriculum, with signposts for engagement from industry.
Recommendations:
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Update Career Progressions Framework in the New Zealand Curriculum.
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Develop a Careers Progression Framework in Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (Māori-medium based curriculum) for Kura Māori.
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Promote Culturally Responsive Pedagogies.
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Design integrated unit plans specific for Construction and Infrastructure for years 1-13.
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Support Māori Trades Training initiatives.
Kia whakangungua koe
Training
Positive changes are underway to enhance support for Māori learners in apprenticeship training, with initiatives that include visual aids and flexible assessments designed to improve accessibility. While employers appreciate the value of micro-credentials in developing job skills, they voice concerns about the fragmentation of qualifications. Comprehensive support from employers, whānau, and training advisors is essential for fostering success. The tuakana-teina relationship stands out as an effective mentoring model, promoting valuable knowledge exchange among learners. Māori businesses highlight the necessity for practical and pastoral assistance that resonates with Māori values. Financial support initiatives, such as Fees Free and the Apprenticeship Boost, provide significant benefits, although challenges regarding their management remain. Moreover, there is a rising demand for industry-driven and culturally responsive training methods that effectively address the unique needs of Māori learners.
Recommendations:
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Increase hands-on learning with theoretical knowledge to engage Māori learners better and cater to their strengths.
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Integrate Māori cultural values into training to create inclusive environments and boost learning outcomes. Authentic and from the beginning and throughout.
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Customise course content for Māori learners, focussing on practical learning, cultural understanding, and plain language where possible.
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Consult with training providers to match course delivery with industry needs, considering micro-credentials for better learning outcomes.
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Ensure ongoing financial aid for employers helping Māori learners, guaranteeing stability in training programmes beyond current initiatives.
He pārekareka rangatira
Nurturing Māori leaders
What achieves great outcomes is the collaborative workmanship of technical know-how and the development of strong leadership within the construction and infrastructure industry. Addressing leadership challenges is a challenge, and this thought process would require common sense practices, innovative ideas, and the desire to take on board what the industry leaders are saying. Māori leadership has evolved and continues to do so to address the constant changes, making great headways in preparedness for future challenges that have arisen. What is extraordinary here is Kotahitanga: doing what is right for the people in their communities. Trade apprenticeships in the 21st Century have evolved from just learning about a trade to a more extensive entry level of skills to which leadership, project management, and general management competencies are incorporated, coupled with an interest in trade towards a future ambition of landing a higher management role inspired by leadership aspirations.
Recommendations:
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Cultural inclusion into everyday practice.
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Adopt the tuakana-teina model of knowledge transfer.
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Update systems and processes to suit the needs of Māori.
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Leadership qualities for aspiring leaders – Competencies Framework.
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Develop a training register with an entry-level according to their trade year.
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Recognition of prior learning and attained leadership skills from a Te Ao Māori perspective.
He mahitahi, he whiwhinga
Collaboration and procurement
Collaborations between the New Zealand Construction and Infrastructure industry, government, and Māori organisations have become increasingly significant. Aimed at fostering economic development and social equity, these partnerships leverage the strengths of Māori communities, including their land holdings, economic assets, cultural knowledge, and values, to benefit all parties. Building collaborative partnerships between Māori, Iwi, and industry stakeholders promotes the acknowledgement of Treaty partnerships and cultural integration into construction projects. Such collaboration provides space and opportunity to reconcile cultural and historical disparities by engaging in social and cultural procurement practices.
Recommendations:
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Design procurement qualifications and micro-credentials to suit the needs of Māori and their communities.
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Review ‘Progressive Procurement Policy’.
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Develop an ‘Indigenous Procurement Policy’.
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Support implementation of an ‘Indigenous Procurement Policy’.
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Establish Iwi-based procurement models.