Selected Achievements

Shanghai Expo

Te Puni Kōkiri and the Minister of Māori Affairs led and supported a range of initiatives to promote and support the “Māori competitive edge” in business, including the work of the Ministerial Economic Taskforce and the Minister-led delegation of Māori business leaders to the 2010 Trade Expo in Shanghai. The delegation had meetings with Chinese political and business leaders and visited ethnic minority communities in southwest China. Positive relationship development has seen the establishment of international business relationships, potentially leading to Māori-Chinese commercial partnerships.

A follow-up business-related delegation visit led by the Chief Executive of Te Puni Kōkiri took place in June 2011, encouraging Māori business relationships in China.

Rugby World Cup

Through the hosting of Rugby World Cup 2011, there is an unprecedented opportunity to showcase the very best of Aotearoa New Zealand’s business and cultural offerings to a truly global market. Te Puni Kōkiri has progressed work in 2010/11 including:

• liaison with iwi and Māori groups across the country, and with government and RWC officials, to ensure that Māori people, and Māori culture, play a strong and vital part in showcasing our nation to in-bound visitors and to worldwide audiences;
• assisting up to twenty marae to seek Qual Mark accreditation, both as ongoing business opportunities for those marae and, with the RWC looming, to help respond to the surge in demand for tourist accommodation;
• working jointly with the Ministry of Economic Development and Māori business networks to ensure Māori business owners, alongside other kiwi businesses, are available to host in-bound business people during RWC; and
• planning two Te Waka based events focused on promoting Māori business.

InfraTrain

Te Puni Kōkiri’s relationship with InfraTrain, the Infrastructure Industry Training Organisation, was developed as part of Te Puni Kōkiri’s response to the Prime Minister’s 2009 Job Summit. The focus on infrastructure sought to maximize opportunities for Māori emerging from the Government’s significant investment in infrastructure.

In 2010/11, Te Puni Kōkiri investment allowed for 259 Māori to receive training in initial, and/or advanced infrastructure industry qualifications, and a further 8 Māori received civil engineering diploma scholarships. It is proposed to continue working with InfraTrain to support more Māori development through infrastructure-related qualification pathways and employment opportunities.

Cadetships

The Cadetships Programme was originally developed also, as part of Te Puni Kōkiri’s response to the Prime Minister’s 2009 Job Summit.

In 2010/11, Te Puni Kōkiri support has enabled for one hundred and one cadets to be employed across a range of industries through contracts with five employers. Cadetships expose cadets to new skill and career development opportunities, and develop generic and industry-specific skills; build the confidence and ability of cadets to move into employment opportunities in non-traditional industries/roles; and enable employers to improve their recruitment, retention and business productivity. It is also intended to continue the Cadetships Programme in 2011/12.

Professional Group Training

Through the Ministerial Economic Taskforce, the Professional Group Training project created 1,550 training places and 252 job places - a total of 1800 training and job placements. Five initiatives were established across key industries including information technology, accounting, the science sector, teaching, architecture and design and worked with employers, industry associations, sector bodies, schools and universities.

Māori Tourism Strategy

Supporting the development of a Māori Tourism Strategy - an interagency governance group comprising the New Zealand Māori Tourism Society, Te Puni Kōkiri, the Ministry of Economic Development, Tourism New Zealand, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, the Department of Conservation and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise has made significant progress toward completion of a Māori Tourism Action Plan for implementation over the next 3 years which seeks to:

• raise the quality and consistency of Māori tourism products;
• improve the business capability and performance of Māori tourism operators; and
• better promote Māori tourism. A key feature of the action plan is recognition of the value of integrating Māori tourism into existing investment in the tourism sector.

Christchurch Employment

Following the February earthquakes, a particular focus on skills and welfare in the Canterbury region has been underway. To assist with the skills requirements of the rebuild, Te Puni Kōkiri has undertaken a “Request for Proposal” to select an agent to work with Industry Training Organisations and employers to support at least 200 Māori into the construction sector.