October 19, 2016
TupuToa to boost Maori up corporate ladder
A bold new initiative to give young Maori and Pasifika a foot on the corporate ladder will be launched in Auckland today.
TupuToa will offer tertiary students paid internships with some of New Zealand’s leading corporates.
There will be two dozen interns in the first intake, with the target that within five years TupuToa will have provided support to 300 interns and 320 emerging leaders.
TupuToa co-chair Leo Foliaki, a partner in accounting firm PwC, says Maori and Pasifika are largely invisible in the leadership of corporate New Zealand, despite being around 22 percent of the general population.
He says the scheme will encourage participants to embrace their culture and to enjoy the advantages it gives them in the world of work.
As well as teaching career skills, there will be training to assist with their wider leadership responsibilities in their families and communities.
TupuToa is modelled on an Australian programme, CareerTrackers, which this year aims to place 1800 interns with Australian businesses.
It’s an initiative of Global Women, whose goal is to champion diversity and its positive impact on business performance.
Copyright © 2016, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com