A business advisory group has launched an ambitious plan to head off impending job shortages by focusing on recruiting young Pacific workers.
Hanga-Aro-Rau, one of six Workforce Development Councils, is looking to help offset New Zealand’s ageing population by building a new Pacific workforce.
In its plan, the Manufacturing, Engineering and Logistics Workforce Development Council wants the industry to recruit tens of thousands over the next four years.
The recruitment timeline coincides with data from the group that projects a workforce shortfall of around 58,000 workers in manufacturing, engineering and logistics by 2028.
The group said a hiring drive could also help address discrimination and pay inequity in the workplace.
Hanga-Aro-Rau chief executive Phil Alexander-Crawford said there is capacity in the system to train the workers and his organisation would be looking to partner with industry.
“It’s critical that we embrace the changing demographics of New Zealand,” he said.
“We’re also fortunate to have an increasing Pacific population, who are increasingly youthful.”
Port of Auckland, which introduced its own Pacific-focussed employment scheme in July, was keen to work alongside the new ambitious plan.
“It’s about attracting and retaining talent and growing talent from within,” said Tessa Auelua, logistics general manager at the port.
“All of those key focus areas enable us to attract people who want to progress, come in really young and progress through the ranks.”
1News was introduced to Tivoli Levi, a 22-year-old stevedore who has worked at the port for two years. He’s now keen to progress and learn how to drive the large straddle cranes that are central to moving containers around the port.
”I think I’m ready to try something new and get up there,” Levi said. “They do help a lot at the ports, they have a big role in moving the containers around. I think that’s pretty cool.”
Giving young workers a pathway was an important part of the port’s plan to attract more Pacific workers, along with cultural understanding and support.
Auelua said: “For us to be able to celebrate our diversity and really enable people to thrive within our organisation. It’s where the design of our strategy is driven from.”
Executives from Hanga Aro Rau presented the Workforce Development Action Plan to officials at Parliament last Tuesday.
Collaboration across industry, government and employers was now needed to turn the plan into reality.
Pacific Peoples Minister Shane Reti was unable to attend the presentation at Parliament, but issued a statement, saying he was supportive of the ambitions to recruit more young Pasifika.
“The minister is supportive of the council’s ambitions and recognises the council’s to work towards improving workforce outcomes,” he said.
Reti said the council’s launching of the plan “reinforces the importance of growth in Pacific peoples entering their industries as well as higher skill and leadership roles”.
“Currently, Pacific young people do have higher unemployment rates than the total population – and it’s also a priority for the Ministry of Pacific peoples to look more closely at the issue.”
Pacific academic at Unitec, Sooalo Laupu’e Daisy Bentley-Gray, told 1News that the initiative was a start.
“I honestly feel that a lot more needs to be done to ensure that no one misses an opportunity to have a better and brighter future,” she said.
