Tangata whenua highlights 

Te Pae Herenga o Tāmaki ‘Tāmaki 10,000’

A 3-part framework underpins the RSLG’s approach to the needs and aspirations identified by Māori for workforce and employment across Tāmaki Makaurau. In 2022, the RSLG endorsed Tāmaki 10,000 as part one of our Māori workforce strategy.

Born out of Te Pae Herenga o Tāmaki Collective’s Māori Economic Summit in 2020, Tāmaki 10,000 is designed by Māori for Māori. The goal is to support 10,000 whānau in their journey towards economic prosperity, utilising three levers of change: education, employment, and enterprise. Support caters for whānau whether they are rangatahi entering the workforce, unemployed whānau seeking new opportunities, those looking for a career change, or Māori business owners looking for support to thrive in the changing economic environment. 

In March 2023, RSLG co-chair Awerangi Tamihere brought together Te Pae Herenga o Tāmaki Collective and the RSLG to discuss progress made to date on the Tāmaki 10,000 strategy.

Tāmaki 10,000 2023 progress highlights

Levers of change approach 

Tāmaki 10,000 is a unique Māori Strategy that propels a movement towards whānau economic prosperity. We are differentiated by our commitment to collective action and investment in ground up, localised initiatives that facilitate the economic resilience and prosperity of Whānau. Our localised approach is strengthened by our commissioning for outcomes model that coupled with our collective agility enables us to be singularly responsive to whānau needs and to pivot to deliver support mechanisms that are current and relevant. We:

• Procure and consolidate flexible funding streams that allow our partners to determine strategies and solutions for and with whānau
• Reindigenise systems to enable Māori to flourish
• Trailblaze innovative solutions

We apply 3 levers of change to ensure that we address holistic, long term and enduring economic change for whānau; These are: education, employment and enterprise.

Education

Māori are much more likely to leave school with no qualifications than their non-Māori peers. For every 100 Māori school leavers, 19 have no qualifications, compared to only 9 of every 100 non-Māori. There is also a disproportionate number of rangatahi Māori leaving school after completing NCEA Level 2, to go on to Level 3 certificates at private training establishments. Those that do so will earn significantly lower wages by age 25, than those rangatahi who stayed longer at school ('Business and Economic Research Ltd, BERL, Waikato-Tainui, Southern Initiative TSI, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu (2019) He Awa Ara Rau: A Journey of Many Paths').

The Educational Lever provides Innovative support systems that remove educational barriers and encourage our young people to dream big and make choices that facilitate their aspirations. These extend to supporting Pakeke (adults) to acquire and develop valuable skill sets, that will enable greater career choices, mobility and pathways. Central to this is the development of the Whānau Ora Diploma to a Level 6 Accreditation, and planning for level 7. This is the only 'for Māori, by Māori' qualification offered in Aotearoa. Our partnerships that invest in Māori Trades Training. They enable a critical resource shifting the dial for Māori entering trades and tackling skills shortages across the Tāmaki Makaurau region.

Employment

The Māori unemployment rate is the highest in Aotearoa and well above the national unemployment rate. This is particularly high for rangatahi and wāhine. This trend continues when we consider underutilisation of Māori in the labour market. More Māori were employed in low skilled than unskilled occupations, but they remain lower when compared to all workers.

Māori labour market trends

Indigenised, innovative pastoral and employment specific programming provided to:

• Remove employment barriers
• Accelerate employment opportunities Propel Māori career advancement

Key to the employment lever is consolidating and aligning funding to streamline service delivery that is localised, fit for purpose and benefits whānau, community and society.

Enterprise

Māori owned small businesses employ more Māori and prioritise community and environmental impacts at a greater rate then non-māori owned businesses. They also face greater barriers to accessing seed funding and investments.

Advance the development of Māori economic success by:

• Providing a platform for Māori entrepreneurial excellence; enabling Māori to flourish as Māori and realise their potential with mana
• Identifying and working in partnership/s to secure funding, share networks and resources to promote, accelerate For Māori, By Māori, To Māori, With Māori initiatives that facilitate the development of Māori entrepreneurship and economic success.

Whāriki and Te Pae Herenga o Tāmaki partnership 

Through the Progressive Procurement Policy introduced in 2020, around 150 government agencies are required to award at least 8% of annual contracts to Māori businesses. This presents a significant opportunity for the RSLG to champion the work of our Māori workforce partners and ensure visibility of their mahi across central government.

Whāriki is the largest Māori business network in Aotearoa. Part two of the RSLG’s three-part Māori workforce strategy is supporting Tāmaki 10,000 and Whāriki to work together to explore workforce opportunities for Māori and support outcomes for Māori small to medium enterprises. In April 2023 both parties came together to sign a first of its kind memorandum of understanding (MOU).

In the MOU, both parties committed to sharing resources and networks to promote, accelerate and fund initiatives that advance the development of Māori economic success. The MOU signed by Te Pae Herenga & Whāriki will provide a platform for Māori entrepreneurial excellence; enabling Māori to flourish as Māori and realise their potential with mana.

“Our whānau will be able to secure sustainable, mana- enhancing employment within Māori businesses; this is the ultimate embodiment of mā mātou, mō tatou for us, for all of us. Alongside Te Pae Herenga we’re committed to growing Māori entrepreneurial excellence, enabling our people to flourish, and advancing Māori economic success at all levels.”

Trina Tamaiti, CEO Whāriki

“This improves our access to the Tāmaki Māori business sector which automatically becomes advantageous to local entrepreneurs and it’s a win- win from there. Whāriki have the same business nous as we do with the same timeline, and now we have shared resources and networks to promote, accelerate and fund initiatives that facilitate the development of Māori economic success.”

John Tamihere, CEO, Whānau Ora

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