Tēnā koe

Welcome to the second issue of Career Pathways News, brought to you by Waihanga Ara Rau, the Construction and Infrastructure Workforce Development Council, and specifically created for career advisors. Finding up-to-date information about the wide range of opportunities in the trades can be challenging. Career Pathways News brings you the latest construction and infrastructure intel to share with students and career seekers to help them make the big decisions. Enjoy the read!

Find out more about who we are and what we do.

FUTURE SKILLS SPOTLIGHT: A career in infrastructure

Major investments in infrastructure are creating exciting career opportunities in Aotearoa. The government’s 2024 announcement of a 30-year National Infrastructure Plan includes over $120 billion in funding for roads, power grids, water systems, and more. Of the 149 fast-tracked projects, 123 focus on construction and infrastructure.

EXPLORE A CAREER IN INFRASTRUCTURE

Pathways for rangatahi Māori in STEMM

STEMM (science, technology, engineering, maths and mātauranga Māori) education helps ākonga build skills for careers in civil and environmental engineering, project management, and more.

Pūhoro STEMM Academy empowers rangatahi Māori to pursue pathways in STEMM using hands-on learning, mentorship, industry connections, and national and international engagement opportunities. Through their summer internship programme, Pūhoro STEMM offers hands-on learning, mentorship, and industry connections, aiming to support over 6,000 rangatahi by 2027.

Let’s Level Up: realising the potential of the disabled workforce

Launched in 2024, Let’s Level Up is groundbreaking research highlighting the untapped potential of disabled workers in construction, infrastructure, logistics, engineering, and manufacturing. Among other insights, Let’s Level Up finds that increasing disabled workforce participation could add $1.45 billion to the NZ economy.

READ THE RESEARCH

Connecting industry and education for a future in Energy

With growing energy demands, the Energy sector expects 6,300 job openings by 2028. Companies are eager to train new workers, regardless of prior experience. The Electrical Supply Industry have produced a series of short videos on a variety of occupations in the industry highlighting daily tasks, future and pathways - watch here.

Northpower’s Trade Cadets is a fully-paid eight-week work-readiness programme which leads to a trades apprenticeship at Northpower. The programme includes comprehensive onboarding, cultural workshops, and practical training. On completion of the programme, graduates will have achieved the NZ Certificate in Electricity Supply (Level 2) and are will be ready to join Northpower as trainees in one of five specialised pathways: Line Mechanic Distribution/Transmission, Cable Jointer, Electrical Fitter or Utility Arborist.

Find out more about Northpower’s Trade Cadets:
Trade cadets programme - Northpower
Northpower trainee wins employee of the year

Genesis Energy Careers. There are multiple career pathways you can choose from for a career in energy.

Explore careers with Genesis:
Energy Careers – Ara Mahi Pūngao | Genesis NZ

Transpower offers summer internships, and a graduate programme aimed at tertiary students completing BE (Hons).

Check out Transpower:
Educational resources | Transpower
Graduate Programme and Internships | Transpower

WORKFORCE INFORMATION PLATFORM: Forecast labour market trends in construction and infrastructure

The Workforce Information Platform (WIP) is a powerful forecasting tool that provides real-time data on labour gaps and job opportunities in construction and infrastructure.

EXPLORE WIP TO SEE WHERE CAREER OPPORTUNTIES ARE GROWING

Infrastructure scholarship opportunities

Scholarships for Māori learners:

Scholarships for Pacific learners: