Project Fetu, a partnership between the Oamaru Pacific Island Trust (OPIT) and Hanga-Aro-Rau Workforce Development Council for the manufacturing, engineering and logistics sectors, will support rural Pacific workers to complete the NZQA-recognised Digital Skills for Manufacturing micro-credential.
Mata’aga Hana Fanene-Taiti, CEO of Oamaru Pacific Island Trust and Deputy Mayor of Waitaki, says many Pacific workers arrive in New Zealand without formal qualifications, despite years of work experience.
She says the name Fetu, meaning star in Gagana Samoa, honours Pacific navigators who used the night sky to guide journeys, symbolising a new path for workers seeking skills and recognition.
“Traditional training pathways are often inaccessible due to cost, distance or time. Project Fetu is about creating hybrid, community-based ways of learning that meet people where they are, not just for Pacific people but for those in rural areas too.
Fanene-Taiti says in towns like Oamaru, where local economies rely heavily on a handful of employers, industry change can have disproportionate impacts.
She says a number of meat processors are currently downsizing in the South Island, affecting Pacific workers in particular.
Phil Alexander-Crawford, Chief Executive of Hanga-Aro-Rau, says by piloting micro-credentials in this way and in this region, Project Fetu aims to support workers who may be displaced to re-train and position themselves for roles in new sectors such as construction, logistics, or advanced manufacturing.
“The Pacific workforce is growing and younger, and ensuring a sustainable pipeline is critical, particularly in regions where a single business closure can have wide-reaching impacts. Delivering training in culturally appropriate ways will ensure we get the best out of learners enabling them to immediately contribute to the workforce.
The programme, delivered at OPIT’s Learning Hub from mid-September, combines community-based learning, supported by workplaces and strengthened through wraparound support delivered by trusted community networks.
Educators from Auckland will be brought to Oamaru to deliver the tailored six-week training.
