Meet Te Rimene Workman! Te Rimene is from Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa and Rangitāne o Wairarapa, Napier. He is concluding his study toward a Law/Commerce conjoint at Victoria University of Wellington with Finance and Economics majors.

TupuToa is committed to effectively progressing our rangatahi in the corporate and professional sectors. Securing partnerships and offering internship opportunities with globally renowned organisations is all part of what we do. In this case, we matched Te Rimene with an internship opportunity at PwC over the Summer.

Te Rimene interned in their Finance Advisory Services team, and continues to work there on a part-time basis. He reports, 'the internship experience was amazing; this was my first career-focused job and I enjoyed doing something new and related to my studies.' When asked what his biggest takeaway was, he responded that it was 'the training and experience that only comes from being exposed to the corporate environment; university is a great place to learn concepts and theory but seeing how partners and directors operate was great for my personal development.' A TupuToa internship prepares Māori & Pasifika tertiary students to enter the workplace with confidence in the value they can add to an organisation.

We ask our interns to connect with what fundamentally drives them. When asked what his 'why' was, Te Rimene said, 'My why is my whanau; I've been blessed to have parents that have put time and effort into giving me tools to succeed so I strive to make the most of what I've been given.' Knowing your why will enable you to overcome the challenges characteristic of any worthy pursuit. Te Rimene overcame the challenge of balancing Summer study with full-time work during his internship; time management, he points out, was key to ensuring he could handle the workload.

Te Rimene was a standout intern and recipient of our programme. It was no surprise to us that at the conclusion of his internship he was offered a graduate role with PwC in 2020. He is inspired and excited to continue his career development and is especially grateful that TupuToa put him in this position to succeed. His advice for future interns this Summer is to 'seize the opportunity - growth comes when we leave our comfort zone so take any opportunity that comes your way.'

We predict success will be a hallmark of Te Rimene’s future and career trajectory. As is anticipated for all of our TupuToa interns. We are privileged to be party to this movement of indigenous excellence. We wish Te Rimene aroha and our best as he works toward realising his personal vision for the future: to see more Māori and Pasifika in all areas of the corporate environment.

Pictured: Te Rimene (left) and Lachlan Macintosh (right) -TupuToa interns, PwC Wellington Office

Our strong partnership with Air New Zealand has been a point that TupuToa is proud to celebrate. Air New Zealand’s passion for growing a diverse talent pipeline has been very evident in their graduate offer to one of our interns, Asena Tolungamaka, who is the first graduate role that the People department have offered. She is Air NZ’s Corporate Graduate in HR Revenue and EX.

During her TupuToa internship, Asena worked in the Diversity and Inclusion team where she contributed to the work going into Air NZ’s cultural competency framework, and supported Air NZ’s many employee networks such as Manu - the Māori and Pasifika network, the Women’s Network, and Pride Network. Her passion for uplifting and empowering all parts of our society is why Asena thrived with this opportunity.

Asena is a proud member of the South Auckland community. She has always aimed to achieve success in the greatest heights because she wants to encourage those in her neighbourhood not to be deterred from any negative aspects of their socio economic circumstances, and to thrive despite of it.

She applied for the TupuToa programme, specifically wanting to work at Air NZ. As Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading corporate and given it’s integral role in economy and our country in general, she wanted to make an impact in an organisation that is impacting the world.

She loved her internship with Air NZ and is excited and very grateful for the incredible opportunity as a graduate. During this role, she will be rotating in different areas of the business including teams in the Finance area, Talent and Recruitment, People Revenue, Employee Experience, and People and Advisory Services.

Asena hopes to gain as much experience, growth and professional development as she can in her journey with Air New Zealand. Air NZ has a plethora of opportunities, and she aims to make the absolute most it so that one day, she can be in a good position to give back to her community and all those she can encourage in their own journey to succeed.

Panel Discussion with Maya

In collaboration with Global Women and Air New Zealand, TupuToa attended Triggers for Change with Maya Soetoro-Ng. Soetoro-Ng has a history in leading outreach and development initiatives, and among other subjects has been an educator in Leadership for Social Change. She also happens to be Barack Obama’s sister! CEO Anne Fitisemanu was a keynote and panel speaker at this event, alongside Maya, Jodie King - Chief People Officer Air NZ, and Miranda Burdon – CEO New Zealand Global Women. The discussion centred around the changing representation of women and minorities in leadership, and contemplated leadership development at a global, national and organisational level.

Celebrating IWD in Wellington with Accenture

TupuToa was invited to celebrate International Women’s Day in Wellington with Accenture. The invitation only event is a key part of Accenture’s diversity and inclusion programme, which showcased a diverse line-up of brilliant leaders from a wide range of disciplines and industries – from business to human rights, from Government to the arts. We gained many valuable insights and are proud to be in partnership with a company like Accenture who aim to jolt new thinking in gender inclusion and provoke change as they work to gain gender equality.

Sione Taunga joins the Mana Moana Experience

Student Navigator, Sione Taunga, was awarded one of the community scholarships and has recently commenced the Mana Moana Experience, an integrated programme held for Pasifika leaders by Leadership NZ and funded by Foundation North. This leadership programme focuses on developing effective leaders who have a strong awareness of issues of significance for Pasifika communities and New Zealand. We’re so excited for you, Sione! Congratulations!

CareerTrackers Staff LDI Conference, Gold Coast

CareerTrackers is an Australian national non-profit with the goal of creating pathways and support systems for Indigenous young adults to attend and graduate from university, with high marks, industry experience and bright professional futures. In many respects, TupuToa is the New Zealand equivalent of CareerTrackers.

The CareerTrackers Staff LDI was an opportunity for TupuToa staff to deepen programme knowledge, build skills and strengthen ties with The CareerTrackers and Seekers in Australia. The programme kicked off with a half-day visit to the Jellurgal Cultural Centre followed by two full days of workshops and sharing. This year's focus was on knowing your business, alignment of personal and organisational values, targets and the difference an internship opportunity has on the individual, the family and their community. The team returned with some ideas to incorporate into the next TupuToa staff training and this year’s internship programme. These included:

How to be a productivity Ninja, Matt CowdroyDoing things differently to get the same result, Mick GoodaPerformance, the learning, the journey, growth and failure, Michael CombsGoals and personal vision for the future, Adam DavidsPerformance agreements linked to organisations goals

A massive fa’afetai tele lava to CareerTrackers for kindly hosting the team over the three days.

To our family, friends and our community in Christchurch –

Our hearts are heavy in the wake of the tragedy that terrorised your hometown, and which has devastated our nation and our world. We extend our karakia and alofa to the families of the victims, and to the whole of Christchurch, especially our Muslim community.

There are no words to match the hurt and grief you are all experiencing but know that our nation is with you. Our hearts are with you. We grieve with you. We stand by you. Here are some links and information for support:

Family and witnesses affected by the incidents are encouraged to contact Victim Support on our 24-hour crisis line – 0800 VICTIM (‪0800 842 846)If you need advice or support with mental wellbeing call or text 1737 anytime to talk to a trained counsellor.

TupuToa’s investment partners are a stand-out group of over 60 progressive, leading corporates and public sector organisations committed to a fundamental shift in business practices and culture, maximising Māori and Pasifika leaders. With over 150+ interns, we reached out to gain some insights into how our partners’ experience of our interns and their internships were. Here is some of their feedback:

TupuToa provides the confidence for fantastic Māori and Pasifika talent to put their hand up and be recognised for the incredible skills and diversity of thought they can bring to NZ’s corporate and professional services - Caroline Peak Talent Partner, BNZ

We have been impressed by the sense of whanau that TupuToa generates, not only within its own organisation, but also with its partners and across its partner network. It feels special to be on this journey with TupuToa and their interns - Daniel Lund Head of Cloud First, Accenture NZ

It’s a privilege to have the TupuToa interns as part of our business. Through just being themselves, they bring such energy and enthusiasm. It’s been rewarding to see them grow so much both personally and professionally in such a short space of time - Susan Chu Talent Partnerships Manager, SkyCity

The inclusion of interns from TupuToa really bolstered our diversity in this space and proved that this initiative is of extreme importance for any organisations succession planning, and how we incorporate different perspectives and world views. This cohort of interns demonstrated confidence and dynamic thinking in my interactions with them and showed the types of innovations that young leaders bring to the table. TupuToa enables incredibly talented individuals to attain valuable work experience and in turn takes managers on a cultural journey. TupuToa interns offer insightful perspectives and have contributed to enhancing our cultural capability. It has been a pleasure meeting such talented young people - Kim Sperry Principal Adviser National Recruitment Projects, Corrections

For further feedback and information regarding our programme head here and get in contact with the Team.

Our interns are the future leaders of our nation. It is important to acknowledge that in our Māori and Pacific communities, our rangatahi are products of the love, support and nourishment they experience from their loved ones. Our interns have a lot to thank their whanau for –the giants whose shoulders they stand on. Here is some of the feedback we have received from our interns’ whanau. We are grateful to have their support and it makes TupuToa’s purpose worthwhile knowing the impact that the programme has on our interns, their families and their communities.

‘Tuputoa hasn’t just been a fantastic experience for her, connecting to her Pasifika heritage and exposure to the corporate world. I also do not underestimate the benefit for Wynona in meeting the other interns whose backgrounds and journeys she was able to connect to, and have given her a place to feel at home.

My mother, her grandmother, Meletina Gallagher was so proud of her and what was special is that the entire ‘aiga, right through from Wynona’s great grandmother, her grandmother, great aunts and uncles and lots of her cousins, sat around the dinner table last weekend discussing the opportunity she had just had with such pride, and of course, opening yet another window into what’s possible for our own family.

The benefits of what you do and are achieving, travel so far and wide and I wanted to thank you for all that hard work you put in. You truly are an inspiration, as are the people working with you and the interns you are guiding on their education and life journeys’ - Salamina Elaine Gallagher

Our Gala Dinner this year was something special. A partner in attendance said, 'passion flowed through the room; it was palpable and contagious!' We couldn't have choreographed the evening any better than it turned out. The magic felt that evening was a result of the need for organisations like ours and the impact of this important kaupapa.

At all of our major events this year the instruction upon arrival has been to ‘follow the drums’. Gala Dinner was no exception. Our cook island brothers from Anuanua Performing Arts Troupe set the literal tempo of the event as guests trickled into the foyer of the Cordis, adjacent to the Great Room where the Gala would be held.

The doors of the Great Room were soon opened and guests were called into the room with a powhiri and invited to be seated. We were then treated to a performance by the Hatea Kapa Haka Group. You might recognize them from the Te Matatini Kapa Haka competition held last month in Wellington; they performed a stunning rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody that has since gone viral.

Our co-chair, Rangimarie Hunia, opened the evening. She invited our cohort of 150 interns and their whanau in attendance to stand and said the following, ‘For our guests who are here, if you have any doubt about what you have come into. This is what it is about [pointing to the interns and whanau]. It is not just about individual students who are on a journey toward employment, far from, this is about a movement, this is about community empowerment, this is about families and the transformation toward rangatiratanga’.

Hon Aupito William Sio, in good humour, apologised for not being the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern and expressed her regret that she could not join us. He also noted that the CEO of Air New Zealand, Christopher Luxon, was present and quickly informed Christopher that his flight from the capital was delayed. Jokes at bay, Aupito had a powerful message for everyone there, ‘Tupu, Toa, those words are very powerful: [it means] young warriors, growing strong people, growing fearless people. They are words that resonate. They speak both to the heart of our identity as Polynesian, as Māori, and to the enormous potential we hold for the future of Aotearoa, New Zealand; of a better and more culturally inclusive society. If we as a new and vibrant pacific nation are to reach our fullest potential, it is critical that we recognise the advantages of seeing and doing things from a Māori and Pacific perspective. We must understand that these different perspectives are not a barrier, but an asset.’

Air New Zealand has been a principal partner of TupuToa since the inception of our programme. To conclude his remarks, Christopher Luxton (CEO, Air NZ) challenged the interns, 'You’ve now got a choice to make. You’ve got to decide how you’re going to use these opportunities to build the lives you dream of. Because that decision will determine not only the kinds of people you’ll become, but also the kinds of communities you’ll live in [and] the kind of world we’ll all share together.'

It was important to us that a whanau representative shared their perspective on the night. We invited Maria Fuata, mother of Wilson Fuata intern with ARUP this Summer to speak. She was thoughtful and genuine and her message resonated with many of the mother/father figures in the room. We value our connection to whanau. Thank you for entrusting your taonga with us this Summer.

Our intern speakers were phenomenal. We invited seven interns to speak. We were unaware that the interns we selected had all received offers of full time employment at the conclusion of their studies. Congratulations to these fantastic rangatahi! Let them show you themselves how eloquently they spoke about their internship and life journey. Click into any one the following links to view their scripts:

BNZ

Wynona Dekker, ANZ

Falcon Karangaroa, Z Energy

Letitia Puni, Fletcher Building

Caleb Poe, BNZ

Davida Iosefa, EY

Edmond Carrucan, Corrections

Following dessert we were treated to an item by Detriech Soakai, spoken word poet and Programme Director at Brothers in Arms. He gave his number out to everybody in the room and instructed them to text him a word that he would then use to freestyle. Hundreds of texts flooded his phone and he strung the words together in an effortless rap. He was also invited to observe the events of previous day, our Leadership Wananga, and host a workshop on ‘Letter’s to Self’. At the Gala Dinner he presented a spoken word piece titled, ‘Keep Showing Up’.

Our night of festivities ended on a high from two of TupuToa’s finest – CEO Anne Fitisemanu and co-chair of TupuToa board Leopino Foliaki. Our CEO made a heart-warming speech, thanking everyone in attendance for helping to create a better, more diverse and inclusive Aotearoa. Her heart for our Māori and Pacific communities shone through, and was quickly followed by an impromptu, moving haka from our interns to show their gratitude for the love and support that Anne has shown them.

Leopino had the daunting task of ending the night which he quipped was something he thought would be an easier task than opening the night. However, he quickly realised it was harder to end because of the electric atmosphere that was created in the beginning and continued throughout the night. He did a wonderful job, however, and the many people he thanked in his speech that helped to make the night possible was symbolic of the unity that we all felt that night – the unity that is required to keep TupuToa alive and running. Kia ora rawa atu to everyone for your attendance, support and love.

Photography by Nigel King, Whitedoor Photography. View full album here.