Part One: Masterton is home to Juken New Zealand Limited’s (JNL) Wairarapa mill. For over 30 years, JNL has been part of New Zealand’s forestry and wood-processing industries, manufacturing advanced and innovative wood products. JNL has a diverse workforce, including a significant proportion of Pacific workers, each with their own unique experiences and contributions. These Pacific workers, like their colleagues, play a pivotal role in shaping the workplace culture and driving productivity.

And they are not just pivotal to JNL – the Pacific workforce is a vital and growing part of Aotearoa New Zealand’s economy. In the 2023 census, the Pacific population increased to 442,632 people, 8.9 per cent of the overall population, up from 381,642 (8.1 per cent) in 2018. The Pacific population is young and dynamic, playing a crucial role in manufacturing. The manufacturing industry is the Pacific males’ highest employer and the third highest for Pacific women, behind healthcare and education. Notably, Pacific workers represent over 9 per cent of the wood manufacturing workforce, a figure higher than Pacific’s representation in total employment and the general population. This emphasises the significant contributions of Pacific workers and communities to a key industry of New Zealand’s economy, highlighting the importance of fostering their growth and development within the industry.

Adrian Grieg, Training Co-ordinator at JNL and member of the Hanga-Aro-Rau Manufacturing National Industry Advisory Group (NIAG) explains that Pacific workers play a big part at the mill. “We’re a wood processing manufacturing site that employs a high proportion of Pacific Islanders,” he says, adding that JNL’s Pacific workforce is highly motivated, with deep humility and loyalty.  “They are very gracious about having a job here. The younger workforce is keen and eager to earn and learn.  They are appreciative of the support and the opportunities we provide,” Adrian adds.

One important way that JNL supports Pacific workers is by providing a flexible working environment with a strong work-life balance. When the team recently noticed that they were struggling to fill vacancies, JNL created a new 9 am to 2:30 pm shift to accommodate parents. Adrian supports a healthy work-life balance for JNL, saying “There are some constraints around solo parents’ ability to get into the workforce, so we created this shift that would allow them to get their kids to school, come to work, get some money, and then get back in time to pick them up.”  The initiative has been so successful that other businesses in the area have since implemented similar shift flexibility. The business’s commitment to its workforce was acknowledged in its nomination in the Team Gold category in the Wellington Gold Awards; an award to celebrate excellence and enterprise of businesses in the Greater Wellington Region and Horowhenua

JNL also prioritises a proactive approach to training, Adrian says, in particular through their programme Ingrain which brought in an external literacy and numeracy tutor to help Pacific workers achieve greater outcomes and fulfil their full potential.  “The tutor provided personalised support with reading, writing, and unit standards. Many workers also took the opportunity to study the road code and successfully obtain their learners licenses. The one-on-one, tailored skills programme was well-received; they responded well to a one-to-one skills programme tailored to their need.”

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 and will be critical to the success of the Vocational Education and Training system. Only with a comprehensive understanding of the needs and challenges of our Pacific communities, can we ensure that the redesigned system will be fit for purpose for this fast-growing sector of the population.

Hanga-Aro-Rau extends heartfelt gratitude to JNL for welcoming us to your site and for the enriching talanoa we shared. Fa’afetai lava, Vinaka vakalevu!