Budget gives iwi hope for ambitious training plan
Nga¯ ti Kahungunu says it will take a big leap into training tradies, despite still waiting for full funding.
Last week Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced a $1.6 billion boost aimed at trainees and their employers.
The Budget’s four-year funding package includes hundreds of millions of dollars for tertiary enrolments, companies that employ apprentices and free trade training.
It also provides $276 million to set up the workforce councils and regional skills groups created by the Government’s decision to give the new national polytechnic responsibility for industry training. Nga¯ ti Kahungunu Iwi chairman Ngahiwi Tomoana said the announcement was effectively a green light to kick-start a significant new iwi project.
He predicted the iwi’s “Trade Training” project had the potential to train more than 1500 young Ma¯ ori in the next 10 years, and could help solve a social housing supply problem in the Hawke’s Bay region.
“We are [now] moving forward with our Trade Training project as though budget has already approved,” Tomoana said.
“We would be surprised if we don’t get support from the Budget.”
Project leader Rawinia Lewis said the entire project involved setting up a property development company with at least three arms to it.
“It will include developing quality affordable houses, trades training, and increasing Ma¯ ori business ownership,” Lewis said. “The project will have charitable and commercial expectations.”
Tomoana said the iwi had advocated for trade training for the last two years, based on the announcement of ministers Nanaia Mahuta and Megan Woods at Waipatu Marae in 2019 for an increase in social housing in the iwi’s “rohe”.
“Nga¯ ti Kahungunu Iwi have designs for prefabricating in the Trade Training School that can cater for up to 150 trade trainees per year for the next 10 years.
“This new type of apprenticeship allows trainees to develop skills over the next six months in the building industry and will also enable them to become employable within 18 months.
“Nga¯ ti Kahungunu Iwi . . . will collectively focus on housing/ building, trade training, small to medium enterprises in business facilitation, and growth over the next 10 years.”