Content provided by Te Puni Kōkiri

Organisations participating in the Te Puni Kōkiri Cadetship Program have been recognised as employers of choice for Māori. Actively supporting the upskilling of existing and new Māori employees has improved staff retention, leading to improvements in overall performance. 

The immediate and long-term development of kaimahi Māori (Māori staff) continues to improve thanks to partnerships between employers and Te Puni Kōkiri. Since the program was established in 2010, construction has been the biggest winner with 31 per cent of the overall 5000 program cadets serving this sector, and with a steady growth in wahine Māori cadets. 

Cadets are supported to achieve their full potential in the workplace and contribute to thriving, innovative and resilient businesses. Employer-led Te Ao Māori training, development, and mentoring for Māori cadets has wider impacts and benefits for whānau and communities. 

The partnership between Te Puni Kōkiri and organisations involves the employer committing to providing each cadet with structured mentoring, tailored training and development, and relevant work and life skills (and potentially qualifications). Te Puni Kōkiri contributes up to $10,000 per full-time cadet per year, or less for part-time cadets, as well as ongoing advice and support. 

‘The cadetship program provides a proven avenue for Māori of all ages to gain skills and to progress into higher‑paid, more senior roles, and to become leaders in and beyond the workplace,’ says Karen McGuinness, Director of Investments at Te Puni Kōkiri. ‘The flexibility of the cadetship program to support kaimahi of wideranging ages, skills and seniority levels is a strength that provides opportunities to support the Māori workforce in ways not available through other government programs.’

More than 400 employers have participated in the program since it commenced in 2010, with 75 per cent being Māori owned. Most organisations participating in the program are from the construction sector, and are a mix of large and small-sized employers across the country.

‘The program supports the government’s overarching Māori Employment Action Plan – Te Mahere Whai Mahi by supporting Māori to have skills and knowledge to lead and succeed, to thrive in workplaces, and for Māori to be leaders in future-focused and sustainable sectors,’ says McGuinness.

A 2021 survey of participating employers and cadets involved since 2015 highlighted how successful the program is:

• 94 per cent of employers agreed or strongly agreed that the program had prepared cadets for their careers in the long term.
• 90 per cent of cadets were still employed at the same organisation.
• 88 per cent of cadets received additional on-the-job training within the organisation.
• 88 per cent of cadets received a pay rise.
• 76 per cent of employers said that cadets were better‑equipped to face challenges in their work than other employees who had not completed the program.
• 74 per cent of employers said their organisation had benefited from participating in the program.
• 69 per cent of employers said the proportion of Māori employed in their organisation had increased since participating in the program.
• 58 per cent of cadets received a promotion within the organisation.
• 44 per cent of employers indicated that they had changed their recruitment and induction practices to be more supportive towards Māori candidates and employees.

Most organisations based in Aotearoa New Zealand are eligible to participate in the program, with the exception of organisations directly funded by the Crown. 

Te Puni Kōkiri staff at regional offices are available to talk about the program and offer advice on how organisations can be involved.

To find an office near you or to learn more about whether the program is right for your organisation, visit tpk.govt.nz.

CASE STUDY: Whakapuāwai leadership program grows cadets’ success

‘Tikanga Māori is a good tool for learning different behaviours and mindsets,’ says Billie Steedman, Ngāti Rongomai, Whakatōhea and Te Whānau-ā-Apanui. ‘It’s also about using the tools of tikanga to learn leadership.’

A longstanding traffic department team member at Dempsey Wood in Tāmaki Makaurau, Steedman and seven of her hoamahi were the latest graduates of the civil construction company’s leadership development course, called Whakapuāwai.

In partnership with the Te Puni Kōkiri Cadetships program and supported by Upskills workplace training, Whakapuāwai grows kaimahi Māori to take on more senior roles through regular wānanga, self‑guided study, and online interaction steeped in Te Ao Māori values. Graduates receive a New Zealand Qualifications Authority Level 3 Certificate in Business (Introduction to Team Leadership).

The first session on whakapapa and identity inspired Steedman to be self-reflective. ‘Whakapuāwai was a good program and a reminder to myself of my identity – that I’m proud to be Māori. It was a good way of reconnecting with people. We learnt whakawhanaungātanga to find out who’s who in the program.

‘You don’t have to be a manager to be a leader,’ Steedman says. ‘You are a leader within your own right, within your own area, just by leading by example – being the mentor and showing your peers that you do things for a reason, and you do them with grace, finesse, and a lot of tenacity.’

Meaning to blossom or thrive, ‘Whakapuāwai’ can relate to a famous whakatauki that speaks to the importance of nurturing people to realise their potential: Poipoia te kākano kia puāwai.

Fellow Whakapuāwai graduate, Waikato-based surveyor Turoa Pohatu of Ngāti Porou, says the course improved his ability to support others at mahi and with whānau.

‘I’ve become more confident; I’ve learnt the many styles of leadership. It’s awesome conversing with my kids in Te Reo, which hasn’t been done before. Whakapuāwai has done that for me: speaking Te Reo in my house.’

When whānau thrive, so do their communities and so does Aotearoa New Zealand.