Waipareira Employment Hub Tackles Joblessness Head-On

Unemployment in Aotearoa has crept up to 5.1% - the highest it’s been in four years. But while the system continues to debate solutions from a distance, Te Whānau o Waipareira is doing what it’s always done: rolling up sleeves, opening doors and creating pathways that work for whānau, with whānau.

In the last year, 110 people have completed employment programmes through the Waipareira Employment Hub. 59 have entered the workforce, and 75 have gone on to further education. But this is not about statistics. It’s about transformation. It’s about restoring mana and proving that change is possible for entire whānau.

A Graduation Unlike Any Other
At a recent graduation ceremony for three cornerstone programmes - Wai Pitomata, Māori Trades Training, and Supporting Māori to Thrive, 23 proud graduates stood not just as jobseekers, but as role models.

Facilitator Gino Reedy put it simply, “Showing up - that’s the hardest part. But turning up and giving it a go? That’s where the magic starts.”

Followed by Facilitator Annie Hawaiikirangi who brought it home for graduates and whānau in attendance.

“Māori are often talked about in the media. But today? We see Māori success, loud and clear. And at Waipareira, we celebrate that every day. This is your whānau now - and you are never alone.”

Lives Transformed, Cycles Broken
Behind each certificate is a story and a future rewritten. Take Shalom Wilson Hakaraia, who came into the Supporting Māori to Thrive programme struggling with social confidence and unsure of his direction.

“This place helped me come out of my shell. No one judges you. Everyone’s here to learn.”

Now, thanks to hands-on workshops and barista training, Shalom’s pursuing work in conservation and animal care - and already working part-time.

Then there’s Jordan Varu, a 26-year-old father of five who entered the Māori Trades Training programme after job loss, court appearances and hitting a wall.

“I was doing dumb stuff. Then my cousin told me to hit up Waipareira. Within two days, I had a plan and people backing me.”
Jordan’s now employed at AA Collision Repair, planning his own detailing business. The hauora side of the programme really helped. They made me feel like whānau.”

These aren’t just employment outcomes, they’re evidence of what happens when you prioritise wellbeing, identity and trust as much as training.

A Hub of Hope
The Employment Hub is more than a programme, it’s a place of restoration. It’s where whakamā is replaced with confidence. Where systems that once excluded are met with whānau who say, "You belong here."

Kōrure Whānau Manager TJ Tuta’i further set a challenge to graduates to keep going and to aspire to greater things.

“This is only the beginning. Walk across bigger stages. Write your own story. And remember where you started.”

Waipareira’s model doesn’t wait for government green lights. It builds from the ground up, with kaupapa Māori values at the centre.

As the country grapples with rising unemployment, Waipareira offers more than a counter-narrative. It offers proof. That when you invest in people, not problems, you get whānau who are proud, employed, educated and ready to lead. If central systems can’t find solutions, maybe it’s time they looked west. The answers are already here.