The expansion of the Tupu Aotearoa programme to provide sustainable employment and tertiary education pathways has continued with the signing of three more Tupu Aotearoa providers to support Pacific communities of all ages in the Wellington and Canterbury metropolitan areas.
Minister for Pacific Peoples Hon Aupito William Sio made the announcement recently, and says having full and complete coverage of New Zealand with Tupu Aotearoa support will ensure Pacific peoples throughout Aotearoa in the regions and in the main metropolitan centres do not miss out on the employment, education and training opportunities during the economic recovery and rebuild phase.
“I want to see Pacific peoples thrive and prosper with better paying jobs and with better qualifications that Tupu Aotearoa will provide,” Minister Sio says.
The expansion of Tupu Aotearoa into Wellington and Canterbury began in January 2020 with a procurement process for Service Providers to deliver the programme in the two metropolitan areas which has resulted with the signing of a collaboration agreement with the Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP).
“This is an exciting milestone for Tupu Aotearoa as three Service Providers have been successful in their application process and I am proud to welcome these providers to the Tupu Aotearoa aiga (family) and I am confident their local knowledge and networks will secure positive outcomes for Pacific communities in Wellington and the Canterbury centres,” the Minister adds.
The three providers are: Fale Pasifika o Aoraki Trust Society for the Canterbury metropolitan area and Partners Porirua Trust along with In-Work NZ for the Wellington metropolitan area.
Minister Sio says Tupu Aotearoa’s success is founded in its design to respond and support Pacific communities at a regional, local, and cultural level, offering end-to-end wraparound support and pastoral care.
This ensures clients are nurtured from a strength-based beginning of their career journey to permanent employment with business partners, providing access to the right tools for skills development that aligns with future employment and educational opportunities.
“I am determined to expand the Tupu Aotearoa programme to support Pacific communities throughout every region in New Zealand.
“We currently deliver services in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Manawatu-Whanganui, Hawkes Bay, Otago and Southland. As part of Budget 2020, we will expand into Nelson, Marlborough, Tasman and Northland regions by the end of the year.”
For further information on the Tupu Aotearoa Programme, visit MPP
Tupu Aotearoa Wellington and Canterbury Service Providers:
Wellington
Partners Porirua have well established local networks and leverage these to connect their clients with businesses, community, stakeholders, and individuals to progress employment and training opportunities.
Partners Porirua’s cultural diversity is representative of the community it serves and connects extensively into the wider community through its many programmes. ‘Fonofale’, a Pacific model encompassing values and beliefs; incorporating the importance of family, culture, and spirituality, is part of Partner Porirua’s standard way of working.
Since its establishment in 2001, In-Work NZ Limited (Inwork) has been a leading private provider of employment training, placement, and retention programmes.
In-Work was appointed in 2010 to the pilot Tupu Aotearoa programme, making them one of the programme’s most experienced Service Providers with hands-on insight and understanding of the barriers to employment and training opportunities that Pacific clients face.
In-Work delivers a range of services and interventions using both traditional and in-house models, linking clients with employers and training organisations.
Canterbury
Fale Pasifika o Aoraki Trust Society Inc. (Fale Pasifika) has been serving the ever-growing Pacific population of Oamaru, Timaru, and Ashburton since its establishment in 2008. Fale Pasifika’s approach to helping improve the wellbeing of Pacific people and their families is founded on culturally appropriate approaches woven through the ‘Fale, ‘Talanoa’ and Whānau Ora’ models.
Over the years, Fale Pasifika o Aoraki have built strong relationships and partnerships working collaboratively with local secondary schools, employers, employments agencies and other social service providers throughout the Canterbury metropolitan area.
Fale Pasifika o Aoraki understand their local Pacific communities extremely well and, in addition to the programmes and services they deliver, they also provide guidance and advice to government agencies.