“I am proud to announce the continued expansion of the Tupu Aotearoa programme to provide sustainable employment and tertiary education pathways with the signing of three more Tupu Aotearoa providers to support Pacific communities of all ages in the Wellington and Canterbury metropolitan areas,” says Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio.

“Having full and complete coverage of New Zealand with Tupu Aotearoa support will ensure that Pacific peoples throughout Aotearoa in the regions and in the main metropolitan centres don’t miss out on the employment, education and training opportunities during the economic recovery and rebuild phase. I want to see Pacific peoples thrive and prosper with better paying jobs and with better qualifications that Tupu Aotearoa will provide.

The expansion of Tupu Aotearoa into Wellington and Canterbury began in January 2020 with a procurement process for Service Providers to deliver the programme in the two metropolitan areas which has resulted with the signing of a collaboration agreement with the Ministry for Pacific Peoples.

“This is an exciting milestone for Tupu Aotearoa as three Service Providers have been successful in their application process and I am proud to welcome these providers to the Tupu Aotearoa aiga (family) and I am confident their local knowledge and networks will secure positive outcomes for Pacific communities in Wellington and the Canterbury centres.

The three providers are: Fale Pasifika o Aoraki Trust Society for the Canterbury metropolitan area and Partners Porirua Trust along with In-Work NZ for the Wellington metropolitan area.

“Tupu Aotearoa’s success is founded in its design to respond and support Pacific communities at a regional, local and cultural level, offering end-to-end wraparound support and pastoral care. This ensures that clients are nurtured from a strength-based beginning of their career journey to permanent employment with business partners, providing access to the right tools for skills development that aligns with future employment and educational opportunities.

“I am determined to expand the Tupu Aotearoa programme to support Pacific communities throughout every region in New Zealand. We currently deliver services in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Manawatu-Whanganui, Hawkes Bay, Otago and Southland. As part of Budget 2020, we will expand into Nelson, Marlborough, Tasman and Northland regions by the end of the year,” says Aupito William Sio.

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