A new plan for trades training in Northland

A new iwi/hapu initiative has been launched to determine what trades training is needed in Northland, with the goal of getting young Maori into careers.

Te Matarau Education Trust is working with hapu, iwi, educators and communities around the region to develop the Te Tai Tokerau Trade Training Strategy.

General manager Huhana Lyndon said the strategy would form a road map to ensure tertiary providers were offering trades training that was needed in Northland, investors were putting money into the right places, and high school students were being prepared early enough for the courses.

“It will tell us what we need in our region. What training providers are offering now may not be what we need. This will tell us if we need more painters in Dargaville, for example. It will set a plan so we can go back to funders and say this is what the industry is saying,” she said.

The project was launched at a hui at Otiria Marae. Ms Lyndon said Te Matarau Education Trust would be consulting and conducting workshops with schools, students, and key people within the trades. It would also be talking to young people about what trades they were considering.

The options now included the likes of cheffing and tourism jobs, in addition to the more traditional pathways like carpentry or plumbing.

Ms Lyndon said students had so far given feedback saying they needed career advice earlier to ensure they were choosing the right NCEA subjects.

“We want students to go beyond what they think they can achieve. We want them to go on to be the team leader and business owners and keep making steps in their careers,” she said.

The implementation plan, which would be developed in May, would be taken to the tertiary sector “so we can say ‘look, this is what we reckon we need to do over the next five to 10 years.’ People were saying very clearly don’t go short, go long. Think about long-term investment,” she added.