Two hundred and eighty ākonga from nine training providers came to Unitec for Māori and Pasifika Trades Training (MPTT) Whānaungatanga Day.  

Te Noho Kotahitanga Marae was abuzz with culture, connection, and inspiration as this new cohort of MPTT scholars, including ākonga from Unitec and MIT; shared kai, forged new relationships and connections with key industry partners. 

The purpose of Whānaungatanga Day was to create a sense of whānau and community right from the start of their pre-trade training journey. 

“The important thing for our students was to know they are part of a bigger whānau, and that they are not only connected by their scholarships, but also by their culture,” explains Tu Nu’uali’itia, Unitec’s MPTT Relationship Manager. 

“It’s about having a reason to get up and come to course to achieve an aspiration that maybe they never thought they could do.”

“They know they are going to be looked after right through their education. We are there for them at every step of their journey.”
 
A number of Work-Based Learning and community partners from across Tāmaki Makaurau were present to share valuable insights in a number of workshops held throughout the day. Ākonga were also immersed in cultural activities such as haka and waiata to instill a sense of whānau and show ākonga that their culture and identities are valued and welcomed. 

“This is the only opportunity for students across all of our training facilities and programmes to come together in their pre-trade training to forge relationships and share knowledge,” says Tuwhakairiora (Tu) Williams, Mana Whakahaere Māori for MPTT.

“There are sixteen MPTT programmes around NZ, but Auckland is the largest. We’ve looked at the level of success over MPTT’s ten year lifespan and it has trended upwards. We’ve put through over 5,000 students through their pre-trade training.”

MPTT was established in 2014 and is funded and supported by Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). The programme builds on the foundations of the hugely successful Māori Trades Training scheme in the 1950s and 1960s which was disestablished in the early 1970s.

“Our work is important because there is a huge skills demand in the skills, infrastructure and aligned industries, where we are short of around 100,000 skilled workers,” ” says 'Aisake (Issac) Liava'a, Mana Whakahaere Pasifika for MPTT. 

“And it’s important that the rapidly growing Māori and Pacific population have these opportunities to gain meaningful and sustainable employment so they can contribute to Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa and to their communities and whānau.” 

More than 100 ākonga in pre-trades training at Unitec are registered with MPTT. Their scholarships cover tuition fees and helps them progress towards an apprenticeship and into a job.