Pita Sharples

Speech to InfraTrain Scholarship Recipients 56-60 Carbine Road, Mt Wellington, AUCKLAND Thank you for the opportunity to be here. To John Wills, Chief Executive of InfraTrain, and your staff, thank you for your efforts in making this initiative a success.

To the scholarship winners - congratulations, it is a pleasure to share in your success.

Not quite a year ago, in July 2009, I was here at this very venue with the Prime Minister to launch Te Puni Kōkiri's "Māori in Industry and Trades Training" initiative.

This initiative was part of Te Puni Kōkiri's response to the Māori Economic Summit and the Prime Minister's Job Summit.

When the economic downturn hit in late 2008 and 2009, it was Māori without skills and qualifications who were losing their jobs and their livelihoods, and whose whānau were at risk.

Building a strong base of skills and qualifications, and moving more Māori into higher level qualifications, became a priority.

So as part of this initiative, Te Puni Kōkiri partnered with InfraTrain to deliver 250 training places across three regions: Waikato, Te Moana a Toi/Te Tai Rāwhiti/Takitimu/Te Arawa and Tāmaki Makaurau/Te Tai Tokerau.

In addition, Te Puni Kōkiri wanted to ensure that at least 20 percent of those undertaking training were new to the industry and that a minimum of three scholarships be awarded to those Māori who were ready to move into Diploma level courses.

We are here today because after less than a year, this partnership with InfraTrain has been a huge success story.

The numbers speak for themselves. InfraTrain exceeded the number of Māori trainees to be recruited by over 100 - with 359 trainees.[1]

The Tāmaki Makaurau/Te Tai Tokerau region had 187 trainees, Waikato had 102 and Te Moana a Toi/Te Tai Rāwhiti/Takitimu/Te Arawa had 85.

I understand 41 of the trainees have completed their qualifications, that InfraTrain exceeded the new employee target with 97 new employees, established 14 pastoral care initiatives, and delivered a first line management course at the New Zealand Army Tumatauenga marae for nine Māori trainees.

And today we are here to present not three, but eight scholarships - such has been the success of the InfraTrain project.

To Tana Apiata, Morgan Chapman, Brendon Dacey, Karlton Karangaroa, Benjiman Kete, Mahaki Naden-Riddell, Amanda Taylor and Jeremy Wikeepa, you are the reason we are here today.

We celebrate your achievements and success in receiving these scholarships.

You represent the aspirations we want to engender within the wider Māori workforce - of a skilled, talented and highly qualified workforce reaching its potential.

This is a fantastic and much needed initiative aimed at raising the level of skills and qualifications of Māori within the civil infrastructure industry.

More than that, it is a classic win win for all parties.

The Māori staff involved get the benefit of improving their skills and qualifications. This in turn improves their job and promotion prospects. Equally, employers get the far greater productivity and efficiency that these qualifications bring.

The real strength of this programme is that it is tailored to meet the needs of both Māori trainees and employers - ensuring it is flexible and practical enough to succeed in the everyday work life of those involved.

InfraTrain is to be commended for undertaking this initiative.

Those receiving these scholarships are an example to all Māori working within the civil infrastructure industry of what can be achieved with hard work and dedication.

So I offer you my congratulations, and wish you all the best with your study and your future careers.