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In engineering
As the demographic landscape of Aotearoa evolves, Māori, Pasifika, and Asian communities are projected to make up over 50% of the population by 2050. Couple this with an engineering industry facing labour and skills shortages and it makes sense that attracting diverse talent is critical to addressing this gap.
By fostering genuine interactions with rangatahi Māori (young Māori) and amplifying their unique perspectives, we can address these challenges and build a more inclusive, innovative, and resilient workforce that meets the demands of our evolving society.
Our mahi
We want more Māori in engineering!
Creating initiatives that attract Māori into engineering
Our mahi is focused on creating initiatives that attract more Māori into engineering both in the early stages of a tauira (student) choosing a career pathway, through to higher education and entering the engineering workforce. We want Māori to see STEMM as a field that aligns with their values and culture, and to feel supported as engineers in our industry.
Regardless of ethnicity – we also want our future engineers, scientists, and technologists to have a deep understanding of both the indigenous knowledge that makes Aotearoa so unique to the rest of world and its place in informing modern STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Mātauranga) disciplines.
The Whanake scholarship
Giving tautoko to Māori tauira to become future engineers.
Our Whanake scholarship is offered in collaboration with the Pūhoro STEMM Academy.
Targeted to a Māori student in their first year of a four-year Bachelor of Engineering degree (B.E. or B.Eng), the scholarship comprises of an annual award of $10,000 and help with securing summer internships, tutoring or counselling if required.We believe genuine interactions with rangatahi and amplifying their unique view on the world is important for the future of our industry. Creation of this scholarship is a first step achieving this, and we see the recipients of this scholarship going on to become role-models and mentors to other young Māori considering a career in engineering.
How Whaneke works
In order to be eligible for consideration, applicants must:
- be of Aotearoa New Zealand Māori descent;
- be enrolled at a tertiary institute in Aotearoa on the year of application;
- be attending full-time study for the full year;
- submit the application and supporting documentation on time;
- be in their first year of a four-year Bachelor of Engineering degree; and
- meet the contracted scholarship conditions.
To stay informed on when scholarships are being offered, we recommend keeping an eye on the Pūhoro STEMM Academy news platform or following them on social media – as they manage this process.
Alternatively, you can also contact them directly for inquiries.
Our Whanake recipients
Since its launch in 2018, Whanake has been supporting rangatahi to pursue their studies in engineering
The Tohu app
A culturally anchored approach to careers mapping.
HERA has partnered with Auraki Group to develop a desktop app to encourage more tauira Māori to study engineering and other STEMM-related subjects.
We have realised that for many rangatahi, figuring out their future is tough. Most career tools today are very outdated, developed back in the early to mid-1900s and don’t consider all the changes in technology, industries, and culture – leading to mismatched career paths.
The Tohu app looks to changes this narrative, linking identified values to STEMM disciplines using Mātauranga Māori approaches. Interactive questionnaires allow rangatahi to identify their strengths, skills, interests, and values, and discover how they align to ngā atua (Māori gods) and kaupapa Māori. This app is still in development and close to launch and aligns with our commitment to Vision Mātauranga through our Endeavour funded project “Construction 4.0: an industry 4.0 transformation of the Aotearoa New Zealand construction sector,” known as “Ngākopa Construction 4.0” for short.
How the Tohu app works
We want a world where students choose their careers based on what matters to them and the values they’re driven by. Not only does this mean our future workforce will be skilled, but it also means they’ll be committed and passionate about what they do.
The magic behind the Tohu app is its cultural relevance and inspiration into education. Students complete a short survey on their interests, strengths, and values which maps them to an atua pathway.
For instance, those highlighting interests in sustainability, values in care or stewardship, or strengths in geography, biology or chemistry subjects may find themselves aligned to the Papatūānuku pathway which focuses on sustainability, well-being, and environmental stewardship. By defining values specific to the world of Papatūānuku and aligning STEMM roles to career principles like kaitiakitanga we find a world or career pathways open up to rangatahi that they might never have considered.
We think this tool may also help existing engineering professionals using this app discover new ways to incorporate these principles into their roles (even if their current career isn’t an exact match).
Why have we done this mahi?
Our engineering, construction and manufacturing sectors are struggling to find talent. We need to be far more inclusive so we can unlock the potential of a diverse future workforce and all the benefits they bring to our mahi.
The reasons why Māori are under-represented in these sectors is varied and complex, however one key issue is that high school children (and even down to intermediate and primary) are not engaging with STEMM. In fact, by the time they reach fifth form, many Māori and Pacific students face significant drop-offs in science and maths participation – a gap that extends into tertiary education and the workforce, creating a ripple effect that impacts future opportunities. By helping rangatahi map their strengths and values through a Māori worldview, and discover exciting STEMM career pathways, we can guide them to find fulfilling jobs that match their potential. For employers, this means a more resilient, motivated, and value-driven workforce.
Māori in engineering
Creating a network of Maori on LinkedIn.
We’ve created a LinkedIn group as an important way to make meaningful connections with like-minded people and organisations to bring more of te ao Māori into engineering. We want to spark conversations, sound out ideas, spread the achievements of Māori and create whanaungatanga.
Our experts
Latest news & resources
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The Tohu App is how we can unlock the potential of a diverse future workforce and all the benefits they bring to our mahi (work).