Why Skills & Workforce Development Matters

A strong, skilled local workforce is the backbone of a thriving regional economy. In Wairarapa, our people drive productivity across farms, factories, healthcare, hospitality, tourism, and innovation. But with a changing population, evolving industries, and rising skill demands, we need to invest in our people, ensuring they are equipped to succeed now and in the future.

That's where the Skill Wairarapa network comes in. Supported by the WEDS Project Management Office (PMO), Skill Wairarapa brings together employers, industry, educators, iwi, and community leaders to identify shared workforce challenges and opportunities and support initiatives that will have the greatest regional impact.

Together, these efforts help grow capability, strengthen career pathways, support employers, and future-proof Wairarapa's workforce pipeline.

Current Initiatives in Delivery

Several region-wide initiatives are underway to strengthen skills, improve retention, and increase local employment opportunities, we are working on:

Skills for Work

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Skills for Work helps ensure in-school rangatahi are work-ready and workplaces are youth-ready. The programme strengthens connections between schools, training providers, employers, and industry while improving awareness of local education, training, and employment opportunities. Activities include career expos, workplace visits, employer engagement events, work-readiness initiatives, and the development of practical tools to support successful transitions from education into employment.

Supporting Great Youth Employers
As part of the Skills for Work initiative, we are also working with employers, educators, and workforce partners to identify and develop initiatives that strengthen employer capability to attract, support, develop, and retain young workers. This includes promoting youth-friendly workplace practices, effective onboarding, supervision, mentoring, and pastoral support that help young people thrive in employment.

WaiHost – Service Training Programme

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Delivered by Business Wairarapa, WaiHost supports workforce capability across Wairarapa through practical training focused on customer service, supervision, leadership, and workplace culture.

While originally developed for visitor-facing industries, WaiHost has evolved into a cross-sector workforce development programme supporting businesses of all sizes to improve customer experience, staff development, and workplace performance.

Digital Fluency Programme

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Coordinated by Waitech Trust, the Digital Fluency Programme is currently assessing and strengthening digital capability among our secondary school students. The programme supports the development of practical digital skills aligned to future workplace needs while helping schools, businesses, and communities build the foundations required for a technology-enabled future workforce.

Completed and Pilot Initiatives

Foundational programmes have helped build momentum and set the stage for ongoing delivery:

Good2Great Leadership Programme in 2021-22 and 2023

Delivered in partnership with Business Wairarapa and the Ministry for Primary Industries, the programme supported businesses to strengthen leadership capability, workplace culture, and team performance. The programme demonstrated strong regional demand for practical capability development tailored to the realities of local businesses.

Digital Skills and Technology Pathways in 2022

Coordinated by Waitech Trust, this initiative included career roadshows, technology events, and e-sports competitions that introduced students to digital career opportunities and emerging technologies.

Courageous Leader Series in 2024-25

Delivered by Tū Hauoranga Trust, the programme attracted participants from across the health and community sectors, fostering leadership capability, systems thinking, and collaboration across Wairarapa.

Pakihi Māori Business Capability (2024-25)

Supported through Māori in Business Wairarapa, this initiative helped strengthen capability, connections, and peer networks for Māori businesses across the region. Regular events and opportunities for collaboration supported the growth of Māori enterprise and leadership.

Attract, Connect, Stay - Healthcare Workforce Programme (ongoing)

Delivered by Tū Hauoranga Trust, the Attract, Connect, Stay programme supported the attraction, build connection, and retention of rural workforce, with focus on healthcare professionals, in Wairarapa. The initiative is built on community-based approach to workforce attraction and retention, helping strengthen local connections and support networks for our workforces.
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WEDS investment helped build the foundations for this work and supported the establishment of Tū Hauoranga Trust. The Trust has since expanded its partnerships and areas of focus, with the relationships, capability, and learnings from this initiative continuing to inform its wider kaupapa and community-led activities.

Outcomes for Wairarapa

Short-Term Outcomes

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Stronger youth transitions into local employment: Young people gain clearer visibility of local pathways, while workplaces improve their readiness to support young workers entering employment.
Employer capability strengthened: Businesses adopt more inclusive, development-focused workforce practices that improve retention, productivity, workplace culture, and support for young workers.
Improved frontline service capability: Customer-facing employees demonstrate greater confidence, professionalism, and consistency, improving service standards and visitor experiences.
Foundational digital capability strengthened: Secondary students develop practical digital skills aligned to modern workplace requirements, improving future job readiness and employer confidence.
Stronger workforce connections and collaboration: Employers, educators, industry groups, iwi, and workforce partners work together to address shared workforce challenges and opportunities.

Long-Term Outcomes

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Future-ready workforce: Students and workers develop the skills required for modern workplaces, strengthening business resilience, productivity, and innovation.
Youth retention and sustainable talent pipelines: Clear local education and employment pathways help rangatahi transition confidently from education into meaningful local employment.
Connected workforce ecosystem: Stronger collaboration between employers, educators, industry, iwi, and community partners reduces fragmentation and enables coordinated responses to workforce needs.
Reduced digital inequality: Improved access to digital skills and learning opportunities supports participation across rural and urban communities and contributes to inclusive economic growth.
‍Enhanced regional reputation: A coordinated, people-focused workforce approach positions Wairarapa as an attractive place to live, work, and invest.

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Photo by Jack Austin

Delivery Partners

This work is supported through collaboration between community, iwi, education, and industry:

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Wairarapa Skills & Workforce Action Plan

The foundational strategy guiding Skill Wairarapa's work to strengthen workforce capability, improve pathways into employment, and support employers across the region.