Tabana Nius Newsletter Issue 5

Happy New Year! Welcome to our first Tabana Nius for 2017.

I am excited about what 2017 will bring. But before going forward, I’d like to spend a few moments reflecting on some highlights from 2016. Last year, was the first year of implementing the Pacific economic strategy 2015-2021. It was a time to strengthen our relationships with our stakeholders, build a greater understanding of where we can focus our resources in order to build a strong foundation for delivering actions across the three key outcome areas of the strategy - sustainable job opportunities, suitable and affordable housing and sustainable Pacific businesses.

Under housing, we continued to work with our partners to build the capability of Pacific community groups to become registered community housing providers. Nationally, 27% of all social housing tenants are Pacific, while in Auckland, almost half (47%) of social housing tenants are Pacific people. From this perspective, it makes sense that as we build the community housing sector that Pacific people are supported to participate in the opportunities that this development presents. Through this process a number of Pacific communities have identified a desire to participate more actively as community housing providers with ambitious projects that look at leveraging community owned assets and develop broad skills for their communities to support gainful employment. We look forward to seeing their contribution to the sector as their initiatives grow and develop.

Under the sustainable job opportunities outcome, we worked with tertiary institutions and employers through our connections with Ara, (the Auckland Skills Hub) to understand the conditions that could support Pacific people remain and succeed in workplaces. We hope this work will support employers to enable more culturally inclusive conditions in their work places. We were particularly pleased to launch the Tupu Tai Pasifika Public sector internship programme with the help of the University of Auckland, State Services Commission, New Zealand Qualifications Authority and the Ministry for the Environment. We also joined with our Maori colleagues to support the Tupu Toa initiative which is geared towards providing internship opportunities in the corporate sector.

We are proud to be a key sponsor of the Wellington Pacific Business Network which hosted its first ever business awards in 2016. We continue to work closely with the Ministry for Pacific Peoples and the Pacific Business Trust to support Pacific businesses to grow and prosper.

Finally, we launched the second Pacific economic snapshot [PDF 780KB] which highlights key areas of Pacific economic participation in NZ particularly where it relates to the Pacific economic strategy. This document and other research pieces are a critical part of building the knowledge base around Pacific people’s economic participation in New Zealand.

Our team at MBIE look forward to working with you this year and hope that it is a successful and productive year for all of us.

Kia monuia

Bryan Chapple

Head of Office of Chief Executive

James Penfold (left) a science, technology, engineering and mathematics scholar (STEM) and recent Prime Minister’s Pacific Youth Award recipient spoke to us about his passion for science and gave us some words of advice for how to stay motivated.

The Prime Ministers Pacific Youth Awards are administered by the Ministry for Pacific Peoples and recognises excellence and outstanding achievement by Pacific youth in New Zealand. The awards are geared towards giving Pacific youth the opportunity to boost their future potential even higher.

For more information visit the Ministry for Pacific Peoples.(external link)

Why study a STEM subject?

“Science has always fascinated me – I have been interested in it ever since I was young. I am constantly thinking about how things work and how it all fits together. I thoroughly enjoy constantly learning. The dynamic educational environment is something I really enjoy and the fact that it’s such a diverse field makes it so rewarding because you are able to truly follow your dreams”.

What keeps you motivated?

“I’m constantly motivated by the thoughts of my future. I cannot wait to be a future Pacific health professional. I really want to be able to give back to the community and I’m only going to be able to do this if I apply myself and give everything 110%. I focus on the bigger picture and try not to get too caught up in the details because at the end of the day it’s about what I want to accomplish in the future”.

What is success to you?

“Success to me is regardless of the outcome, if I know that I’ve put my best foot forward, I count it as success. I do not measure it based on other people’s opinions or pre-conceptions. I define it because I feel as though that is the only way to truly succeed – it’s impossible to meet everyone’s expectations”.

How did you become successful?

“Through a lot of hard work and dedication I feel as though I was able to succeed. It has taken a long time and it wasn’t always easy. I struggled a lot, but in the end it all worked out. I tried my best and was always committed and everything is slowly starting to fall into place”.

Do you have any advice for others wanting to follow in your footsteps?

“I think that through a lot of hard work and passion great things are possible. If you apply yourself to your goal and do your best, regardless of the outcome I think everyone should be happy with their achievements. It’s hard to define success and I think that it’s important to understand that people who are successful have generally failed more than most people have tried”.

MBIE’s Tupu Tai Pasifika Public Policy Internships, launched in November 2016, are part of an interagency collaboration to provide opportunities for Pasifika students to explore careers in the public sector, particularly in the area of policy.

The Final 10 candidates from the Tupu Tai assessment centre with staff from across the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), State Services Commission (SSC), the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) and the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) pictured above.

“Many Pacific young people don't have the social networks or exposure to consider a career in the public sector,” says Chief Advisor Pasifika, Matalena Leaupepe. “These annual internships are a way of showing young people what we do and that the public sector is a great place to build a meaningful career, hone your skills and make a difference”.

'Tupu' means 'to grow' and 'Tai' means 'tide' in a number of Pacific dialects – referring to the growing 'tide' or potential of Pacific young people who make up a growing part of the New Zealand workforce. This work is an important part of the MBIE Pacific Economic Strategy which aims to build more sustainable job opportunities for Pacific people, particularly in areas which will enhance their transferable skills and earning potential.

Tupu Tai sponsors include the University of Auckland (co-sponsoring an MBIE Auckland Policy Office placement) the New Zealand Qualifications Authority, the Ministry for the Environment and the State Services Commission all offering summer internships as part of the initiative.

The successful interns for the 2016 intake were Romeo Tevaga, based in MBIE’s International Strategy team; Victor Faletutulu, based in MBIE’s Pasifika team; Robyn Lesatele, based in the Auckland Policy Office; Ea Faletau with SSC; Kaita Sem with MfE and Joanah Ngan-Woo based at NZQA.

The recent graduates underwent a range of tests including phone interviews, written tests, group assessments and critical thinking. Matalena said “the calibre of the candidates was impressive. It is a gruelling process to undergo and they made it hard to choose”.

To find out more about the next round of Tupu Tai Internships, please contact pasifika@mbie.govt.nz

Read and listen to the Radio New Zealand interview(external link) with David Smol and the programme interns.

Where are our interns now?
Check out what our interns are up to now and if you’re a new intern to the public sector get some tips from them for getting the most out of your time here.

MBIE are recruiting for a Senior Policy Advisor to join our Pasifika Team.

The role is ideal for those looking to advance their policy careers and who enjoy working in a dynamic and fast paced environment. This role will support the design and implementation of policies and programmes relating to the Ministry’s Pacific Economic Strategy. If you’re interested in applying or finding out more please apply online or email us if you have any questions at pasifika@mbie.govt.nz.

We will also be looking for an additional Senior Policy Advisor to join the Pasifika team over the next month. To keep up to date with this and other recent vacancies you can visit our online careers page.

NZIER has released the second Pacific Economic Trends Snapshot in November 2016. The first snapshot was released in 2013.

The second Pacific Economic Snapshot includes two sections that were not included in the first – Pacific businesses and housing.

The purpose of this snapshot is to continue to provide information about how Pacific people are participating within the broader New Zealand economy and promote further investigation into areas where data and research are underdeveloped.

View the full report(external link)

In September last year, as part of MBIE’s Women in Leadership initiative, MBIE hosted a group of Pacific women to discuss their ideas about leadership.

The panel of women featured Matalena Leaupepe, Chief Advisor Pasifika here at MBIE; Dr Teresia Teaiwa, Director Va'aomanu Pasifika at Victoria University; Emeline Afeaki-Mafile'o, MNZM and a social entrepreneur, and Tapu Misa, a journalist and chair of Mana Trust.

The panel members spoke to a crowd of around 200 people reflecting on their leadership journeys, from both female and Pasifika perspectives.

Their stories of the challenges they faced and overcame were both inspiring and a reminder that we still have a long way to go to create an environment in which people of all ethnicities and gender are equally able to fulfil their potential in Aotearoa New Zealand.

If you are interested in attending a Women in Leadership seminar contact us at pasifika@mbie.govt.nz.

October 2016 saw the Tupu Toa Corporate Pathways Initiative launched at the University of Auckland at Waipapa Marae and the Fale Pasifika. The initiative was initially born out of the Global Women’s organisation but is now operating as a separate entity. Tupu Toa will provide paid internships with some of New Zealand’s leading corporates and provide early-career support to Māori and Pasifika leaders.

Tupu Toa has been collaboratively designed by representatives of business, tertiary institutions, students and Māori and Pasifika communities. Over time the programme aims to produce a powerful, national network of Māori and Pasifika business leaders who excel in their careers, demonstrate deep-seated cultural intelligence, and are strongly connected to their cultures and their communities.

24 students will be a part of the first intake of interns. Within five years, Tupu Toa aims to have provided support to 300 interns and 320 emerging leaders across the corporate sector.

MBIE, with a number of other corporate and government sponsors, has welcomed sponsorship of this work as it aligns well to MBIEs Pacific Economic Strategy and He Kai Kei Aku Ringa.

To find out more about Tupu Toa visit the Global Women’s website.(external link) 

Getting important tenancy and employment information out there successfully is all about finding the right channels to reach the right audiences. Senior Advisor Pacific - Information and Education, Afemaletā Mene Setefano has found getting on the radio is one sure-fire way of getting our messages across, particularly to Pacific audiences.

“We want to raise awareness among Pacific peoples of their tenancy and minimum employment rights and responsibilities, plus keep them up-to-date about anything that’s new or changed” says Mene. “It’s important that they know they can get information and help from Tenancy Services and Employment New Zealand, and how to do that.

“We’ve found radio is a great way of reaching Pacific communities. It’s an accessible channel and forum that people find familiar and are comfortable with.”

The latest Pacific radio advertising campaign ran nationwide for six weeks starting from 7 November to 18 December across six Pacific radio stations: Radio Samoa (1593AM), Samoa Capital Radio (783AM), Radio 531pi (531AM)/NIU FM (103.8FM), Planet FM (104.6FM) and Plains FM (96.9FM). There’s also six radio interview and talkback sessions with a tenancy focus on Radio Samoa and Samoa Capital Radio.

As well as in English, the adverts are in four Pacific languages: Samoan, Tongan, Cook Island and Niuean. Mene says that many of the campaign-related calls from people have accessed translation resources such as Language Line and Pacific-language information booklets.

Helping people make informed decisions about their rental and employment situations is a major part of the work of the Information and Education team. This prevents disputes from occurring or less costly interventions and contributes to better performing rental housing and labour markets. From a social perspective, it can mean fewer issues and less time spent in disputes, which means people can get on with their lives and has positive renting and employment relationships.

People are tuning in. Mene says they’ve received 32 live talkback calls so far, and there’s a lot of feedback from members of the community saying they’ve heard the ads and interviews and want to find out more.

If you’ve made a donation you may be able to claim a tax credit. To be eligible you need to have made a receipted donation of $5 or more to:

• an approved donee organisation
• an approved New Zealand religious or educational organisation
• approved overseas aid funds
• kindergartens
• state schools, state integrated schools, and other schools who have been approved as a donee organisation, school boards of trustees or parent teacher associations.

Find out more about tax credits for donations.(external link)