Accelerating Aotearoa's Talent
Accelerating Aotearoa’s Talent (AAT) supports success for Maori and Pacific peoples, through education.
Piloted in 2010 as Auckland Pacific Careers, the programme connected with 100 Pacific students from 14 Auckland schools, their families and more than 40 businesses, Tertiaries and role models.
In 2012 AAT is delivering two programmes; Accelerating Maori Careers and Accelerating Pacific Careers, in partnership with the Matatau Maori Business Centre, the Pacific Chamber of Commerce and Careers NZ.
What is innovative about AAT is our commitment to community wide engagement. AAT supports our young people to succeed in education, thus enabling the pathway to skilled and exciting careers for many historically without that access. Focused on Maori and Pacific youth, AAT works with communities, educators and the private and public sectors, to support talented young people into inspiring careers. The overarching principal for delivery is having families engaged as core participants.
Accelerating Aotearoa's Talent has three delivery phases:
a) LINKING-UP: Connecting with schools, families and talent.
b) TURNING-UP: Communities connecting with tertiaries, businesses and role models.
c) FOLLOWING-UP: Helping families and communities understand the education system and supporting youth
into skilled work; Mentoring Programmes, Scholarship Workshops, Services and
Information workshops.
Accelerating Aotearoa's Talent Project Steering Group
| Hinurewa(Hinu) Te Hau | Matatau Maori Business Centre |
| Mary Aue | Niue Business & Careers Expo |
| Robert Perelini | Pacific Island Chamber of Commerce, Auckland Council |
| Peta Si'ulepa | APESTA Steering Group, Auckland Council |
| Mark Wonglyn | Careers New Zealand |
| Lui Tusani | Taro Pages |
| Helen Amituana'i | Mercury Energy |
| Kolose Lagavale | NZQA |
| Judith Speight | Accelerating Aotearoa Incorporated |
| Josh Phillips | Accelerating Aotearoa Incorporated |
Our story and vision is of hope and success for our people and our communities. With Auckland the biggest Pacific city in the world, we must maximise the talent potential of our growing Pacific populations and celebrate this vibrant dimension to Auckland’s compelling story. Linking Accelerating Aotearoa’s work to that of regional government and gaining their support is critical in ensuring the concerted and collaboration based effort needed to implement plans and realise “the vibrant dimension”.
