Ngāi Tahu Holdings Matakahi scholar Makayla Glancy (Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio) will be joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) as an interrn over the 2019/2020 summer.

This year, MFAT and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu have partnered to enable a Matakahi scholar to intern at the Ministry alongside the Ministry’s Aorere interns. MFAT will provide the opportunity for a Matakahi scholar to experience a central government working environment and gain exposure to New Zealand’s foreign policy work, funded by Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.

The MFAT Aorere Internship is aimed towards applicants of Māori descent and specifically targets rangatahi who are still studying or have recently completed their formal qualifications. It provides an opportunity to work in one of the Ministry’s business units with support and guidance from the wider Ministry team, including its Te Pou Māori network.

“The pilot internship programme with MFAT actively demonstrates the shared commitment both our organisations have to grow our future leaders. This is an excellent learning opportunity for young Ngāi Tahu, and we are delighted that MFAT is aligned with our mahi to provide real-world learning environments for rangatahi,” says Arihia Bennett, Chief Executive Officer of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.

Through partnerships with other organisations in the commercial and business space, Matakahi Scholarships create opportunities to grow Ngāi Tahu commercial capacity now and for the future. Previous Matakahi Scholars have gained work experience with companies such as Simpson Grierson and Vodafone.

A third-year student at Victoria University of Wellington, Makayla is studying towards a double degree in Law and Science, majoring in biology, biodiversity, genetics and science in society. She hopes to work in the environmental law field in the future. For the internship she will be working in the Ministry’s Trade Negotiations Division, an area of key importance for iwi Maori in terms of trade policy development.

“This internship will be a significant building block in my career and social development. I am incredibly excited to be working for MFAT with the support of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.”

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