January 29, 2014
Training boost welcomed by Ngai Tahu
Ngai Tahu is welcoming a boost in Maori trade training.
The Government has named seven groups or consortia who will take part in a $10 million a year expansion of the programme.
They include He Toki ki te Rika, a Christchurch-based Maori trade training initiative led by the iwi in partnership with Te Tapuae o Rehua, Canterbury Polytechnic and Hawkins Construction.
Ngai Tahu Runanga kaiwhakaere Sir Mark Solomon says the runanga is proud of He Toki’s success so far, and with more resources and support from the government it can support more Maori to contribute to the Chrischurch rebuild.
He Toki students are taught in a Maori environment while doing 12 to 30 week pre-trade training courses including carpentry, painting and decorating, plasterboard, plumbing, electrical engineering, masonry and fabrication.
Another Ngai Tahu-led initiative, Whenua Kura, will also receive some of the funding.
It’s a collaborative partnership between Te Tapuae o Rehua, Ngai Tahu Property, and Lincoln University to grow Maori leadership in the agricultural sector.
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