Ross Wilson, DomPost column, Monday March 12 2007

Despite the all too frequent political rhetoric, there is now a general acknowledgement that the Maori workforce and community have a huge potential contribution to make to the future economic and social development of New Zealand.  

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Dompost Business Column
By Ross Wilson, president, Council of Trade Unions
Published 12th March 2007

Despite the all too frequent political rhetoric, there is now a general acknowledgement that the Maori workforce and community have a huge potential contribution to make to the future economic and social development of New Zealand.

Currently, Maori participation in the labour market contributes more than $4.2 billion a year to the New Zealand economy. Demographic changes will mean that we are increasingly reliant on the Maori workforce, and it is estimated that by 2021 one in every three students in the education system will be of Maori and Pacific descent.

But there are serious issues which need to be addressed. 65% of employed Maori work in semi-skilled or elementary skilled occupations.   53% of young Maori men leave school without any qualification. Although Maori unemployment is lower than it has been in 20 years, the current rate of 7.2% is still worryingly high.

On Thursday of this week, the CTU, together  with  Business New Zealand, the Hui Taumata Trust, and the Department of Labour, will be holding a consultation hui in Wellington on several workforce development initiatives which have been developed by a joint project team led by the CTU Vice President Maori, Sharon Clair.

The Hui, the theme for which is “Leave No One Behind”, is aimed at developing multi partner approaches in key areas of Maori workforce development.

The Hui Taumata identified two groups within the Maori population, in particular, which are reservoirs of untapped potential: young Maori who leave school without qualifications, and older Maori who have been experiencing disadvantage because of their experience in the 1980s and 1990s.

With the removal of tariff protections and State Sector restructuring it was Maori workers who were disproportionately impacted in sectors such as textile, clothing and footwear, car assembly, meat works, forestry and railways. By 1992 the Maori unemployment rate had risen to 27.4%. Maori youth unemployment peaked at 42.8% in 1991, as compared with 18.1% last year.

Given the disproportionate negative impacts of the 1980s and 90s on Maori, including the experience of jobless families, there is a strong case for a substantial education and training initiative which not only engages young rangatahi leaving the school system on the need to gain relevant skills, but is also promoting learning for older pakeke.

The largest increase in the Maori working age population between now and 2021 will be in the 40 to 64 age group. That group are already of working age now which emphasises the vital importance of work-based training and lifelong learning.

Although the Maori workforce of 2021 will be younger than the general population, the largest increase in the number of Maori aged between 15 and 24 years will occur before 2011. The next four years will therefore be crucial in developing the skills of this group.

There are a number of Government initiatives but the 2005 Hui Taumata  took up the challenge of developing Maori-led workforce development programmes in partnership with organisations like the CTU and Business NZ.

Based on analysis prepared by the Department of Labour for the Hui Taumata Taskforce several  projects have been developed for discussion with prospective partners at the “Leave No One Behind” hui.

The first is a mentoring programme which would match up young Maori workers making the transition to work, or who have recently entered paid work, with an experienced workmate as a mentor.

The second is an education programme to raise awareness among Maori workers, and communities of the value of workplace learning, and the use of Matauranga Maori concepts to help develop the creative potential of Maori workers and improve productivity.

The third is a partnership approach (with Careers Services) to assist older Maori women, and single Maori mothers, with career choices.

The fourth is a broader promotional campaign to encourage Maori participation in industry across a broader range of industries than at present.

A key feature of these workforce development initiatives is the use of Matauranga Maori concepts which emphasise the creative potential of  Maori and motivates participants to realise their potential in skills, productivity, lifelong learning and higher earnings.  

This is a very exciting collaboration and the objective is, through the hui, to broaden the partnerships to include other organisations with similar objectives.