The spotlight shone on the potential of the Pacific workforce at an event in Glen Innes recently, with a talanoa hosted by Hanga-Aro-Rau and Tāmaki College. The second Talanoa since the launch of Lumana’i o Tangata Moana in September, this event was designed to cover each of our four priority goals – Lead, Partner, Strengthen and Value.

Guiding what we do and how we do it, these goals will ensure we can support industry, providers, learners, and regional Pacific communities to maximise education and career opportunities and boost business productivity for Pacific Peoples and the wider Aotearoa New Zealand economy.

The talanoa brought together potential future employers, education and learning advisors, and industry experts to share insights, challenges and solutions; with an opportunity through the day to sit with young learners to sow the seeds for a bright future ahead.

Unlocking the potential of our Pacific workforce will help to address the skills gap in the manufacturing, engineering, and logistics (MEL) industries and support Aotearoa New Zealand’s economy. This talanoa was a great opportunity to have everyone at the table, including the future learners, so everyone’s voice could be heard.

Research commissioned by Hanga-Aro-Rau in 2022, suggested that without intervention, the Manufacturing, Engineering and Logistics sectors could have a combined workforce gap of 58,150 by 2028, at the same time as the Pacific population continues to grow. And it’s not just getting young people into entry-level jobs that is on the radar, discussions are also covering career pathways – it’s about a stronger Pacific workforce with better opportunities now and in the future.

An industry panel discussion at the talanoa covered a range of practical things that businesses can do to attract and retain Pacific staff, the importance of understanding their workers’ background and family situations and supporting literacy and numeracy to encourage career progression.

With around 70 people in attendance, education providers had their own panel discussion, covering topics including what education providers can do to meet the needs of Pacific learners, how the foundations for future skills need to be laid early, and how industry and providers can work together to make sure the right skills are taught to allow the learners to realise their potential into the future.

Then it was time for a pathways event, with around 20 Year 10 students talking with the adult attendees about their plans for the future. It was a chance for the students to find out about occupations they may not have heard of, and for at least one student, the various pathways people had taken in their careers came as a surprise.

“Most of them didn’t go to university, they got into mechanical things and went from there. They didn’t even take those subjects at school,” she said.

Youth Worker Caleb Va’a from The Cause Collective rounded out the day as the guest speaker, in an address full of his passion for the next generation of leaders in his community and his hopes for the future of the Pacific community.

The success carried on after the talanoa, with another student approaching the school, equipped with new information, changing her courses to better align with her career aspirations. And new connections between employers and between employers and Tāmaki College are already gaining momentum – this talanoa has sparked an exciting movement in the community.