He Kākano

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Growing Ngāti Toa in Tech

He Kākano is a paid internship, supported by four organisations committed to building Māori capability in tech. Over 18 months to two years, interns will complete work placements at two kaupapa Māori organisations - Te Tumu Paeroa (Office of the Māori Trustee) and Te Puni Kōkiri - and at technology vendor Datacom. In 2024, the interns will be selected from and supported by Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira.  

We know that there are many talented, kaupapa-driven Māori looking for opportunities. We also know that tertiary education is not for everyone and, particularly for rangatahi, gaining experience is key to getting a career started.  He Kākano has been designed to provide industry experience and ‘on-the-job’ learning. All four partner organisations are committed to building Māori capability – nurturing the development of Māori who are keen to use their skills in the technology industry, and for the benefit of Māori communities.  

Logo of the Te Rūnanga o Tangātira, featuring a red circle with a black line illustration of a traditional Maori design and a staff, alongside the organization's name in gray text.
A colorful diagram with text explaining the benefits of green tea for weight loss, including antioxidants, improved metabolism, fat burning, and appetite suppression.
The DataCom logo in dark blue text on a black background.
Logo of the Ministry of Māori Development with a stylized diamond shape and teal text.

About He Kākano

  • It’s for Māori who are keen to build a career in tech or IT, for the benefit of Māori communities. You must be 18-24yrs old and of Ngāti Toa Whakapapa to apply.

  • We’ve got a kaupapa – more Māori in tech. But not just for the benefit of individuals who participate – for Māori organisations and communities, for generations to come. 

    He Kākano interweaves Te Ao Māori and Te Ao Matihiko in a way that enables a safe and welcoming environment that will change the organisations and industry going forward. 

    We’re supporting them into the industry in a Te Ao Māori way: candidates are selected by iwi, supported by whānau and rūnanga throughout the process; tikanga forms the foundation of both the selection process and the internship. 

    The rūnanga will have a tuākana relationship with interns, including regular MauriOra check-ins.   

  • Yes. Each organsation is sponsoring the intern to complete industry-recognised certifications and providing time off to do it. The specific courses will depend on the skills, experience and existing qualifications of the intern.  

  • We are holding a selection workshop in October 2023 and will work with the successful intern to determine an early 2024 start date.  

    There are three six-month placements at three organisations, and we’re allowing another six months to support the intern into employment. The end date is flexible but would likely be the middle to end of 2025. 

  • There will be a selection hui held on Wednesday, October 18 for potential interns.  This will involve a whakatau and whakawhanaungatanga, a series of fast-paced interviews with managers, hākari and a group workshop. We have a spot for one intern to start in early 2024 and will be looking to take a second in mid-2024.  

    The selection workshop will be held at Ūpane, on Whitireia’s Porirua Campus, and candidates will be supported by Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira whānau. Candidates are encouraged to bring whānau for support. 

    What we’re looking for are people who will work hard, will be a good fit for our organisations, and are keen to build a career in technology, for the benefit of Māori.  

    You do not need to have any particular qualifications or experience to be considered – this is more about the will to develop skills that will support Māori communities. 

  • The successful interns will complete three six-month placements at Te Tumu Paeroa, Te Puni Kōkiri and Datacom. They will be working with IT teams for most of the internship, but also have opportunities to work in other parts of the organisations to get a sense of the bigger picture. The day-to-day tasks will be determined by the skills, experience and interests of the intern and the business needs at the time.

  • Yes! Like in any job, the salary will depend on the skills and experience of the intern, but the starting salary will be around $56,500 plus Kiwisaver. This will be reviewed every six months.  We have planned for this to be a full-time role, but we know for some that won’t be possible. All of the partner organisations have flexible-working policies and for the right candidate we are open to less than 40 hours a week (salary would be pro-rata).