Māori Language Week a staff driven initiative at SKYCITY

During Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori - Māori Language Week, SKYCITY staff not only encouraged to learn basic phrases, they were also offered the opportunity to enroll in a 36 week Te Reo Māori course in 2019.

The activity was driven by graduates of SKYCITY’s bespoke Māori leadership development programme Tahuna Te Ahi, and was the first time the organization had celebrated Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori. 

Group General Manager, HR, Claire Walker says SKYCITY is very focused on diversity and inclusion, and importantly on encouraging staff to bring their whole selves to work.

“Approximately 9% of our staff members identify as Māori, which is high considering we have more than 80 different ethnicities represented! Language is a pivotal way that we express our culture, so engaging our staff in Māori Language Week is a great way to continue on our journey of strengthening Māori culture, values and experiences across SKYCITY for our staff and customers,” says Ms Walker.

Through Te Wananga o Aotearoa, SKYCITY is offering up to 30 staff the opportunity to enrol in a 36-week Te Reo Māori language course starting in March 2019. Participants will learn basic conversational te reo, and graduate with a New Zealand Certificate in Te Reo (Reo Rua) Level 1 & Level 2.

During Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori , SKYCITY also encouraged staff to use te reo in day-to-day activities, from daily sentences posted on the staff intranet to translating all of the items at the staff cafeteria. For the more advanced, daily challenges, like te reo crosswords, were set where employees could compete to win prizes.

In addition, the staff cafeteria celebrated the week with a Māori themed menu with traditional delicacies such as raw fish salad and mussel fritters.  SKYCITY also lit the Sky Tower in red and white to mark Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori; lighting from 12 – 16 September. 

In 2017, SKYCITY partnered with Indigenous Growth to offer a bespoke Māori leadership development programme for staff. Tahuna Te Ahi, translating to ‘ignite the fire’, seeks to encourage participants in bring their whole selves, culture and heritage, to work. Part of the course structure is to challenge participants to create and drive forward initiatives that will bring Māori culture to life at SKYCITY, of which Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori was one.

The first 16 Tahuna Te Ahi participants graduated in March 2018, and the second course is currently underway with a further 16 staff members set to graduate in November.

Māori Language Week is a nation-wide campaign that seeks to highlight the importance of integrating te reo as an essential part of our New Zealand culture. This year’s theme was Kia Kaha Te Reo Māori which translates to ‘Let’s make the Māori language strong” and a key mantra of the campaign is that every New Zealander can help strengthen the Māori language in New Zealand.