Our people

Tagata Pasifika

Actions

• The RSLG will support Pacific workforce upskilling initiatives, led or facilitated by Pacific communities, which will help Pacific people through education, micro-credentials, digital and tech, as well as literacy and numeracy projects e.g., Project Ikuna.
• The RSLG will support initiatives that close the gap in pay for Pacific in the workplace and supports industry and sector businesses that promote good pay for the right skills and provide opportunities for career development e.g., Pacific Pay Gap Inquiry.
• The RSLG will advocate to connect Pacific businesses with support and resources delivered by key regional stakeholders to build resilience and growth.
• The RSLG will support career information and advice initiatives that have reach and impact with Pacific people in relevant aiga and groups.

Key milestones

• The RSLG will support Pacific workforce upskilling initiatives, led or facilitated by Pacific communities - that will help Pacific people through education, micro-credentials, digital and tech, as well as literacy and numeracy projects e.g., Project Ikuna. The RSLG is working closely with Project Ikuna which is a 4-year programme developed by Tātaki Auckland Unlimited in conjunction with and co funded by MBIE. Project Ikuna achieves this by development and delivery of micro credentials through the workplace (3450 creds delivered to date) credential domains include digital skills money management and leadership skills Participating organisations where project Ikuna credentialling is now driving pacific workforce skill gains include manufacturing & processing, healthcare, transport & logistics, construction & Infrastructure. 
• The RSLG has engaged with The Southern Initiative's Social Procurement, Amotai, Uptempo, Pacific Peoples Workforce Challenge, Mori, and Pacific Trades Training programmes, all which support improving labour market outcomes for Pacific people.
• The RSLG will advocate to connect Pacific businesses with support and resources delivered by key regional stakeholders to build resilience and growth. The RSLG is working closely with business leaders and industry including the Pacific Business Trust and Ministry of Pacific people to support Pacific businesses and employees to achieve wider reach and employment outcomes. 
• The RSLG will support career information support and advice initiatives that have reach and impact with Pacific people in relevant aiga and groups. The RSLG is working closely with Ministry of Education and TEC, to help reach Pacific community and young learners in terms of retention, transitions and to support learning outcomes.  

Anticipated outcome

• To accelerate career development and upskilling of Pacific workforce currently in low skilled, low paid work. 
• To ensure Pacific workers and the Pacific business community are well-connected to networks and resources that support business growth, increase resilience and improve labour market outcomes for the Pacific community. 
• To work with Pacific community leaders to improve retention, learning outcomes and transitions support for young learners.

Ethnic communities, former refugees & recent migrants

Actions

• The RSLG advocates workplaces to make the most of Tāmaki Makaurau region's increasingly diverse workforce by establishing practices of pay equity, recognition of prior education and work experience.
• The RSLG advocates for skills and entrepreneurial support initiatives, including career guidance to be given to former refugees, recent migrants and ethnic communities for enhanced labour market participation.
• The RSLG supports more accessible opportunities for English language courses for ethnic communities and migrants.

Key milestones

• Lack of English language training and drivers’ licences continue to be a barrier to obtain work in Tamaki Makaurau for ethnic communities, former refugees, and recent migrants. The RSLG has been working with regional government officials  to support secondary school transitions into employment and developing a proposal for driver licencing to be available as a future offering in the secondary schools Gateway programme. Driver licensing and language training would complement the work readiness training toolbox for Gateway students and provide ‘work ready’ offering in terms of increased labour market mobility. 
• The RSLG has arranged a number of immigration policy related webinar and information sessions for RSLG members and key stakeholders to better understand relevant policies. 

Anticipated outcomes

• To provide these communities with the capabilities to easily enter the region’s workforce
• To support employers and ethnic communities, former refugees and recent migrants to better understand working rights, and immigration policies.

Rangatahi – Ensuring sustainable & equitable education & employment outcomes for youth

Actions

• The RSLG will advocate for secondary schools, vocational education institutions, Ministry of Education and Māori and Pacific to address the large numbers of South Auckland rangatahi leaving school without qualifications during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Regional Public Sector Commissioner (RPSC) has invited the RSLG to participate in a regional/youth return to education initiative.
• The RSLG supports secondary schools to prototype initiatives that encourage young people across Tāmaki Makaurau to stay and complete secondary school before moving into high-quality tertiary education, employment or enterprise. (Economic Development Action Plan 3.1.4).
• The RSLG promotes enhancing careers delivery pathways beginning at school. It also acknowledges the region’s people are on a career continuum and face-to-face post-school learning is vital with a focus on regionally led solutions and career job support and pastoral support.
• The RSLG advocates for strengthened careers advice and bringing stakeholders together to design and implement a purpose-built careers advice ecosystem for Tāmaki Makaurau. This includes ‘by and for’ structures for Māori and other groups disadvantaged in the labour market.
• The RSLG supports Māori-led delivery of support and pastoral care to rangatahi and whānau to make subject and employment pathway choices, while understanding future workforce opportunities.
• The RSLG will review the recommendations from the Youth Employment Action Plan and will incorporate these, where appropriate, into the ongoing work of the RSLG.
• The RSLG supports the building of visible and sustainable 

Key milestones

• The RSLG is closely working with the Regional Public Sector Commissioner (RPSC) as part of the Ministry of Education - Youth Attendance and Engagement Working Group to support initiatives to help youth return to education. The NCEA Change Programme is enhancing learning by promoting equitable access for all students, and ensuring literacy and numeracy are now co- requisites to gaining an NCEA qualification. 
• The RSLG is engaged with Selwyn College Auckland to better understand paradigm shifts in the way schools can support learners and help them transition from secondary school into employment, and how we can collectively support ākonga with being present, participating and progressing in school. 
• RSLG has engaged with Kainga Ora on self-sustaining Trade Academies inside high school being piloted at Massey High School in collaboration with Kainga Ora to give students access to build houses. The students can sell those houses to their local community, which helps them build on a values-based notion of serving the community, and the profits are reinvested in the trade academy. 
• The RSLG is supporting MIT and its School of Secondary – Tertiary Studies.
• The RSLG has been working closely with TEC, MoE, Te Pūkenga-MIT and has provided specific advice for supporting young learners in Auckland, bringing stakeholders together through the “Connect” meetings to support a careers advice ecosystem for Tāmaki Makaurau. This includes ‘by and for’ structures for Māori and other groups disadvantaged in the labour market 
• The RSLG has engaged with Restaurant Association who, with Ringa Hora are kicking off a Rangatahi Council for the Hospitality industry – the key purpose for this is addressing the skills shortage, looking at training and skills pipelines for the industry, perception and other key areas for our industry.

Anticipated outcomes

• The RSLG will advocate for secondary schools, vocational education institutions, Ministry of Education and Māori and Pacific - to address the large numbers of South Auckland rangatahi leaving school without qualifications during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• The RSLG aims to support secondary schools to prototype initiatives that encourage young people across Tāmaki Makaurau - to stay and complete secondary school before moving into high-quality tertiary education, employment or enterprise.
• The RSLG promotes enhancing careers delivery pathways beginning at school. It also acknowledges the region’s people are on a career continuum and face-to-face post-school learning is vital with a focus on regionally led solutions and career job support and pastoral support.

People with disabilities

Actions

• The RSLG supports the establishment of employment working groups for different disabilities to address specific needs for each group and as a way of facilitating good employer responses for the region.
• The RSLG promotes support for young people with disabilities to receive the same education opportunities as other Aotearoa New Zealanders.
• The RSLG advocates that the education sector is aware of the critical levers that will prevent young people with disabilities in Aotearoa New Zealand from accessing education.
• The RSLG has committed to supporting the Working Matters Disability Employment Action Plan which is an all-of-government Action Plan that aims to ensure an inclusive economic recovery from COVID-19 where people with disabilities and people with health conditions can participate in employment on an equal basis. In addition, the RSLG will develop a robust understanding of the needs of people with disabilities in Tāmaki Makaurau based on the Working Matters Disability Employment Action Plan.

Key milestones

• The RSLG has been engaging with the disabled persons assembly and they have pulled all employer resource together for circulation amongst the networks.

Resources for employers(external link) — Information Exchange

Anticipated Outcomes

• Establish a one-stop shop to promote amongst the RSLG members’ business networks as an employer resource as a first step to encourage more employment of people with disabilities across Tāmaki Makaurau.

Ageing workforce

Action

• The RSLG advocates for initiatives that maintain employability of older workers in the region’s workforce.
• The RSLG supports regional initiatives that will change the mindsets of employers to embrace older workers as an asset rather than a liability.
• The RSLG promotes supporting and protecting the welfare and wellbeing of older people in the workplace across Tāmaki Makaurau.
• The RSLG will review the recommendations from the recently released Older Workers Employment Action Plan and incorporate these, where appropriate, into the ongoing work of the RSLG.

Key milestones

• RSLG have engaged with Hanga-aro-rau Research team to support their research work into the older worker.
• RSLG have engaged with the Construction Accord to gain an understanding where they might lean into support older workers in this sector.
• RSLG team members engaged with Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, seeking to join up and support regional initiatives to change the mind set of employers. The anticipated outcome is to support Tātaki Auckland Unlimited to undertake an on-line champaign to raise awareness and change narrative for older workers.
• RSLG have engaged with The Office for Seniors, seeking to support the next Public Sector Census in 2024 to have a stronger older worker lens.

Anticipated outcomes

• RSLG member Paul Jarvie is now part of the expert group to advance the Hanga-aro-rau research into the older workforce.
• The Construction Accord (via MBIE) are updating progress on the Diversity Road Map with the gala of providing a heat map. Progress is being monitored by the secretariat.

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