Māori and Pasifika jobseekers the big driver behind a surge in people retraining in the trades

July 27, 2020

Auckland tertiary providers say they've had to hire more staff to meet demand following lockdown.

More people are looking to pick up the tools to retrain after the Covid-19 lockdown, with Auckland’s Manukau Institute of Technology hiring more staff to keep up with demand.

Its enrolments are up nearly 60 per cent on last year, with Māori and Pasifika driving the demand.

“With Covid, what it did is it pushed them into no employment or low income so that's the challenge for us, and Māori and Pasifika Trades training is all about transforming them,” Sam Sefuiva of Māori and Pasifika Trades Training told 1 NEWS.

They students will be finished in 12 to 18 weeks.

The question then will be whether they'll be able to land apprenticeships.

“The critical time is around October, November when employers are looking at their budget lines and their planning for next year,” Mr Sefuiva told 1 NEWS.

It’s hoped a Government scheme that pays employers who take on apprentices will help bridge the gap to recovery.

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