The workforce in Aotearoa is ageing and the total working-age population is reducing, with the most significant gaps forecasted for the next six years between ages 25 and 35. Bucking this trend, Pacific populations are younger, growing and poised to command an increasing presence in the workforce.

A strong vocational education and training system must support Pacific workers with robust training and progression pathways, to ensure we can harness the significant opportunity they present to fill increasing skill and workforce shortages.

Pacific peoples totalled 442,632 in the 2023 census and this population is projected to increase at more than three times the rate of the New Zealand European population over the next 10 years. This strong growth is further pronounced Food and Beverage Manufacturing – one of the many sectors supported by Hanga-Aro-Rau – where 14.5 per cent of workers were listed as Pacific in 2018, with this growing group contributing 6.5 per cent of the total national economy.

Hamilton-based Prolife Foods has been successfully supplying high-quality dried and bulk food goods for 40 years with passion, integrity and accountability. Their huge international success has been built on a flexible, familial work environment that includes a significant proportion of Pacific workers.

“In terms of our workforce on site, it’s between 5 per cent and 10 per cent Pacific peoples, largely in manufacturing,” says Rebecca Montford, Prolife Group HR Manager. “We’ve got a lot of Cook Island, Samoan and Tongan people. They are so warm and humble. Every single one of them has a story. They work hard and they’ve got a reason behind it, generally family who are reliant on them. They are just lovely people who want to do a good job for the business; hard workers, smart workers and team players.”

Increasing cultural capability and making training opportunities accessible are two critical components of supporting Prolife Foods’ kaimahi on their progression journey, Rebecca says. “Engaging the entire workforce means getting everyone on board, not just the already enthusiastic ones. We need to extend this outreach within the Pacific community and the broader region. When we conduct these training sessions, it’s about building collective enthusiasm and commitment. To achieve this, we need to educate ourselves first so that we can effectively educate others.”

Hanga-Aro-Rau is committed to working alongside the Food and Beverage industry to create fit-for-purpose qualifications for its workforce and better engage and pathway workers in vocational education and training. This support will be critical, Rebecca says, in enabling Pacific workers to enter the industry and progress into more senior roles. “We need help with engagement and training our workforce. It’s crucial to show them the tangible benefits of participating in any learning program. Our workers need to see a clear pathway for growth and how each step will benefit them. We need bite-sized, quick learning like micro-credentials which, I believe, will be very good for our workforce. Traditional classroom settings and duration often don’t work; people tend to disengage. We need to bring the training and the learning to work. It’s about creating a ripple effect where knowledge and enthusiasm for learning spread throughout the organisation.”

Hearing and learning from the Pacific workforce and businesses is one of the actions in Lumana’i o Tangata Moana, Hanga-Aro-Rau Pacific Peoples Workforce Development Action Plan. The insights will inform and guide our work.

Hanga-Aro-Rau extends heartfelt gratitude to Prolife Foods and their kaimahi for welcoming us to your site and for the enriching talanoa we shared. Malo ‘aupito! Vinaka vakalevu! 

Stay tuned for the next part of the Prolife story!