December 14, 2020
Mission Ready to draw Maori into tech jobs
Auckland Council has teamed up with education provider Mission Ready to encourage more Māori and Pasifika into the tech sector.
Mission Ready director Diana Sharma says just 2 per cent of New Zealand’s technology workers come from those groups.
That has come about not just because of the so-called digital divide, with young Māori having less access to computers and the internet, but because of the existing lack of diversity in the sector.
"There's a lack of awareness and role models in tech for Māori and Pasifika and hence a lot of young people are asking 'is this really for me, can I do this?' so there is that change we need to bring around," she says.
The council-Mission Ready partnership is offering 31 scholarships for candidates aged 16 to 40 years, starting in February.
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