Regional alignment

The Commitment, Action and Reciprocity resulting in Employment (CARE) Forum was established in 2019 as the regional forum for overseeing workforce capacity and capability development.

Hikurangi Maunga

Hikurangi Maunga

Trust Tairāwhiti, on behalf of the CARE Forum, produced Tini ngā hua maha ngā huarahi Creating Pathways: Workforce Development Plan 2021, focusing on the forestry, horticulture, tourism, civil construction, and transport and logistics sectors.

The Workforce Development Plan demonstrated Tairāwhiti’s strength in assessing the number of workers needed across those sectors. During that assessment they identified possible causes of the ‘supply problem’, by analysing each sector through four lenses: talent, skills, training, and career development.

Key priority actions from this plan have now been identified and prioritised for implementation in the short to medium term. Trust Tairāwhiti is leading the implementation of the Workforce Development Plan 2021.

Key priority actions

In August 2021, CARE was designated as the Regional Skills Leadership Group (RSLG) for Tairāwhiti. RSLGs are focused on identifying better ways of meeting future skills needs in the region. CARE and RSLG have partnered to deliver a programme that will build the Tairāwhiti workforce by supporting improved education and training opportunities, and identifying and filling quality, well-paid employment options now and in the future.

The CARE-RSLG is part of the Rau Tipu Rau Ora (set up in 2020 in response to COVID-19) regional infrastructure, established to promote and deliver regional priorities:

  • Our future Vision and Focus: Tairāwhiti households, whānau, commerce, essential services and communities stand strong together in the face of the immediate, medium and long-term impacts of the Global Pandemic, COVID-19
  • Workforce Focus areas: To improve our economic recovery and ensure our households and whānau have greater resilience against future shocks, we boost the opportunities for local training, qualifications and jobs.
  • Workforce Goals: Tairāwhiti people have the skills and capabilities to secure and maintain employment, create or adapt to new opportunities, and be confident in responding to a new outbreak or emergency.