Mihi
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Māku anō e hanga tōku nei whare. Ko ngā pou o roto he Māhoe, he Patetē. Ko te tāhuhu he Hīnau. He whakatupu ki te hua o te Rengarenga me whakapakari ki te hua o te Kawariki.
E mihi ana ki te whenua, e tangi ana ki ngā tāngata katoa. E tangi apakura ana ki te tini me te mano kua ngaro atu kei tua o te arai, moe mai ra, haere atu ra. Me whakahonore a Kīngi Tuheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero te tua whitu me tōna whare kāhui ariki. Pai mārire.
I shall fashion my own house. The pillars inside will be of Māhoe and Pātete, and the ridgepole of Hīnau. Those who inhabit the house will be raised on Rengarenga and nurtured on Kawariki.
Greetings to the land that cries out to all people. Let us mourn the multitudes who have gone beyond the veil, may they be at rest, farewell. Let us honour King Tuheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII and his royal house. Blessings of goodness and peace be upon you.
Co-chair foreword
Since its establishment in September 2021, the Waikato Regional Skills Leadership Group (the Group or RSLG) has worked hard to unravel, unpack and understand how the impacts of COVID-19 have continued to reshape our lives. The challenges resulting from the pandemic continue to be felt far and wide and have forced all sectors to adapt and improvise to manage its impacts.
This is the Waikato RSLG’s first Regional Workforce Plan (RWP), the theme of which is based on the vision that King Tāwhiao (the second Māori King) left for his people. It is a vision that constructs the foundation from which the region can continue to build its capacity. Why build a house with Māhoe, Pātete and Hīnau when these trees are not traditionally known for their structural capabilities, let alone as building materials for a house? King Tāwhiao encouraged his people to reimagine their world from another perspective, through adapting and improvising. In preparing this first iteration of the RWP, the RSLG has drawn upon local insights and local voices that best reflect the adaptation and improvisation required to drive workforce development in the Waikato.
The RWP presents the workforce ecosystem as a road winding from the Farm to the Port, that is set against a backdrop of Te Ao Māori, Healthy Communities, The Future of Work, and Climate Adaptation. Our limited resources and short timeframe forced us to narrow our scope for this first RWP, and to prioritise actions for the following sectors:
- Primary Industries
- Digital Technologies
- Construction and Infrastructure
- Manufacturing and Engineering
- Freight and Logistics
Through our collective networks the RSLG has made a start in surfacing several actions that we will deliver on over the next 18 months. Some of the actions you will see are sector specific, many others are cross-sector and will require a more collaborative approach. We look forward to connecting with you as we implement and progress our first RWP.
Pai mārire
Brendon Green and Keith Ikin – Waikato RSLG Co-chairs