Felicity Nepia was a guide at Tamaki Māori Village when the country's borders were shut and the community thrust into Covid-19 restrictions. Photo / Andrew Warner
Felicity Nepia was a guide at Tamaki Māori Village when the country's borders were shut and the community thrust into Covid-19 restrictions. Photo / Andrew Warner
Rotorua tourism workers are being given a chance to upskill on the back of Covid-19, thanks to a partnership between a local trust and education provider.
Tauhara North No 2 Trust, which owns Tamaki Māori Village, held a pōhiri yesterday morning to celebrate a new partnership with Toi Ohomaito provide all its employees with retraining opportunities.
Over lockdown, the trust managed to retain all of its 110 employees with the Government's wage subsidy.
Tauhara North No 2 Trust, which owns Tamaki Māori Village, hold a pōhiri to celebrate a new partnership. Photo / Andrew Warner
Now it is urging them to upskill in primary industries so they are at the "front foot of employment opportunities".
Felicity Nepia was a guide at Tamaki Māori Village when the country's borders were shut and the community thrust into Covid-19 restrictions.
Redundancies were happening across the city's tourism industry, but Nepia said she was "not too worried" as she already had a raft of qualifications if the worst were to happen.
The 27-year-old had a Bachelor's Degree in Te Reo and Theatre Studies, as well as a diploma in business - things that would make her attractive to future employers.
Nepia believed being given the opportunity to further upskill would "open the horizons" for herself and her Tamaki Tours family.
She would be studying a course alongside her colleagues that looked into primary industries, including horticulture and agriculture.
She said she was "grateful" and "thankful" and the knowledge she would pick up would help her when she eventually was able to guide again for the tourism operator.
"Tourists coming through are always so interested in our native plants and how we cultivate them here. It will be great to have knowledge of that."
Felicity Nepia was a guide at Tamaki Māori Village when the country's borders were shut and the community thrust into Covid-19 restrictions. Photo / Andrew Warner
Nepia said the course could open her up to taking on some farming work or getting involved in environmental projects.
"It opens up opportunities to connect deeper with our people and the land."
Tauhara North No.2 Trust chairman Ngahihi Bidois said New Zealand was facing unprecedented times and many organisations and families had been impacted by Covid-19.
"We want our people qualified so they are on the front foot of employment opportunities within the primary industry sector, which is calling out for a qualified workforce," Bidois said.
He said the success of the partnership will not end with Tamaki.
"Tamaki is just the beginning and we hope other tourism partners, local Māori, iwi and wider community will look at getting on this kaupapa with us."
Tamaki Māori Village operations and marketing manager Lady Saifiti said establishing the partnership with Toi Ohomai was an innovative way to help their staff, the wider community and local economy at this time.
"Many of our whānau have only ever known tourism as employment. While the New Zealand tourism industry recovers, this partnership affords our people the opportunity to upskill in primary industries."
She said it was hoping to resume its evening programme next month.
Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology in Rotorua. Photo / File
Toi Ohomai's faculty dean of Primary Industries, Trades and Infrastructure Brian Dillon said retraining was essential to ensure people were able to adapt to a post-Covid world, and the evolving economic climate.
"One of our key strategic goals is to support the educational needs of our regions. We know the struggle that many of our local businesses are facing with this recovery period post-Covid lockdown," Dillon said.
He said the new partnership would equip the trust's staff with transferable skills that could be used across different jobs and industries.
Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said it was a great initiative and showed the trust's commitment to looking after their people as the city navigated through uncertainty.
She said there were benefits from collective responses like this for all people and the district.
"This is a good example for others to follow to show care for our people by providing redeployment opportunities and options for those who need to find new jobs, and enabling them to stay local."
In 2018, the Tauhara North No 2 purchased Tamaki Māori Village. The trust was an Ahu Whenua Maori Land Trust within the rohe of Ngati Tahu and Ngati Whaoa.
