Growing demand for te ao Māori in the workplace, study finds

Friday, 2 February 2024

Knowledge of the Treaty of Waitangi is becoming increasingly important for people wanting to enter the workforce, new research shows.

The Data Insights of the Demand For Te Ao Māori Skills in the Workforce study was conducted by Ōtautahi/Christchurch-based indigenous social innovation lab, Tokona te Raki.

Using data provided by labour market analytics company Lightcast, it looked at the number of job listings requiring te reo, and or Tikanga skills, along with knowledge of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The findings revealed an overall growth in demand of 755% for te ao Māori skills in the labour market from 2014-2023.

The requirement for Tikanga skills saw the greatest rise, increasing by 1085%.

In the same time span, there had been a 288% increase in job listings asking for knowledge of Te Tiriti as a skill within the workforce.

Those hoping to become a registered nurse, a social services manager, or an office/administrative assistant, may need to brush up on their knowledge of Te Tiriti, as these occupations were the top three requiring this skill.

The vocations which most often listed knowledge of tikanga as a requirement were: social services manager, registered nurse and preschool/childcare teacher.

The New Zealand Transport Agency, MidCentral District Health Board and the Ministry of Education, were the top three agencies most often requiring knowledge of Te Tiriti.

While Te Wananga o Aotearoa, the New Zealand Government, and Oranga Tamariki, were the top three employers requiring knowledge of tikanga.

The study was spearheaded by Tokona te Raki rangatahi social innovator Amy Knudsen (Ngāi Tahu), who said the findings come amid growing unease over recent government announcements regarding the Treaty of Waitangi, and the use of te reo Māori.

“We recognise that 2023 was obviously a year of uncertainty with the change of government. But, we still see there's a growth in the demand for these skills,” Knudsen said.

“I hope from the statistics the demand will keep growing, and we’ll end up with a really beautiful Aotearoa backed by our tikanga and the way we do things.”

Knudsen said she hoped the findings of the study would be a “huge drive” for Māori to apply for jobs they thought they may not be successful in based on just credentials.

“For example, here at Tokona, we have done work around changing our workforce from thinking about certificates and diplomas, to skills-based working.

“We hope that for Māori, they see this on a job description and think, I’ve got that, I’ve been on a Marae, I've cooked. I've cleaned. I've had all these other valuable skills like manaakitanga, which sometimes can’t be put on paper.”

The positive trend shows te reo, tikanga, and Te Tiriti, will likely be far more significant into the future given its increasing value, coupled with a growing Māori youth population, Knudsen said.

“These skills being recognised in our workforce, will allow Māori to end up in high paid jobs… It’s a glimpse into what a future Aotearoa workforce could look like grounded in Te Tiriti and te ao Māori.”

Dr Eruera Tarena, Tokona Te Raki executive director, said the data showed employers were increasingly recognising knowledge of te ao Māori and Te Tiriti as vital skills, and were recruiting strong talent in these areas.

“This is not surprising given the broader societal shift made over past decades in celebrating the mana, value and status of Māori language and culture within Aotearoa,” Tarena said.

“This is a positive sign of progress for both the economy and Aotearoa in general.”