On September 15, the Hanga-Aro-Rau Pacific team were part of the launch event for Project Fetu, a pilot initiative supporting 10 Pacific workers to complete the micro-credential 4341 Digital Skills for Manufacturing.

The event featured Pacific communities, industry, central and local government coming together to launch and bless Project Fetu. Waitaki District Mayor Gary Kircher joined the event and spoke about how important initiatives like Project Fetu are, saying he hopes this is just the beginning of more projects like this in the region.

The name Fetu, meaning star in Gagana Samoa, honours the Pacific tradition of navigation, where stars guided journeys to new opportunities. This community-led and workplace-supported programme applies that legacy to workforce development, helping workers build skills, recognition, and confidence. All as we test a scalable, regional model that can be adapted in other regions and sectors, helping employers benefit from an upskilled and digitally capable workforce.

The pilot is being delivered via a partnership with the Oamaru Pacific Island Trust (OPIT), ensuring Project Fetu is led by those with deep community leadership, strong local connections, and a clear understanding of needs on the ground. OPIT brings decades of experience supporting Pacific communities and employers in the Waitaki District and will deliver wraparound support such as pastoral care, literacy and digital skills support, and career pathway guidance to support engagement, which is fundamental to learner success.

Mata’aga Hana Fanene-Taiti, CEO of OPIT and Deputy Mayor of Waitaki, says: “Traditional training pathways are often inaccessible due to cost, distance or time. Project Fetu is about creating hybrid, community-based ways of learning that meet people where they are, not just for Pacific people but for those in rural areas too.”

“For some, this micro-credential could open the door to new roles in construction or manufacturing. For others, it’s a chance to step up into supervisory or managerial positions, roles Pacific workers have historically struggled to access,” she says.

After the launch, the 10 Pacific workers started their learning with a lively and interactive session facilitated by our delivery partner, The Learning Wave. The evaluation team has also begun capturing early reflections, providing insight into the positive impact this project is already having.

Employers are also seeing the wider value, as Kathryn van Rooy, Site Manager at Godfrey Hirst, shared: “At Godfrey Hirst, we believe in investing in people, because people are at the heart of everything we do. Supporting this learning initiative is not just about skill development, it is about creating opportunity, building confidence, and recognising the unique strengths and contributions of Pacific communities in our workplace.”

“Projects like this make a real difference,” echoed Gary Byrne, Personnel Manager at Alliance Group. “They don’t just support people into the workforce; they open the door to progression. Our Pacific staff are showing ambition, and with the right support and encouragement, they’re becoming supervisors and leaders.”

Project Fetu has also begun receiving attention on 1News, Scoop, NewstalkZB, Pacific Media Network, and other news outlets, as word spreads about this vision for a strong Pacific workforce with better opportunities now and in the future.

“Learners’ children and parents will be invited to the graduation in November,” Hana adds. “Gold standard for us is seeing all ten learners walk across the stage to receive a certificate with their families watching. Some of them have never received a qualification before. When their kids see that success, it becomes normalised. They think, ‘If Dad can do it, I can too.’ That’s the intergenerational impact we want.”