Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Associate Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Tariana Turia have announced that proposals are being sought for the Māori and Pasifika Trades Training initiative.

The initiative aims to support Māori and Pasifika learners, aged 18 to 34, in obtaining meaningful trades qualifications, apprenticeships and employment. It seeks new approaches to engaging Māori and Pasifika students in tertiary education to create and strengthen training and skill development pathways, improve employment outcomes and increase the number of learners entering into Level 4 New Zealand Apprenticeships.

It will build on collaborative partnerships within communities (consortium) to ensure training is aligned to the needs of employers, learners, and Māori and Pasifika groups. It is expected that each consortium involved in the initiative will include representatives from:

• Māori and/or Pasifika groups
• employers or industry groups
• tertiary education organisations (for example, private training establishments, institutes of technology and polytechnics, and industry training organisations).

Interested consortia are encouraged to submit a proposal to ensure all communities are able to benefit from this new initiative.

The RFP process will run for five weeks. Information about how to apply for funding through this initiative is available on GETS.

For further details, please visit the website of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) or email MPTT@mbie.govt.nz