Port of Auckland celebrates first te reo Māori graduates

Sixteen staff from across the Port of Auckland have completed a Rumaki Reo course.

Sixteen staff from across the Port of Auckland have completed a Rumaki Reo course and a graduation ceremony was held at Auckland University’s Waipapa Marae.

They were joined by others from the New Zealand Police and AMA Training Group, an NZQA-accredited private training establishment, which delivered the programme.

The te reo Māori learning programme consisted of weekly onsite classroom sessions and is designed for people new to the language.

Pepeha, sentence structures, waiata and karakia made up the core of the curriculum.

Ports of Auckland. Photo / Michael Craig

Port of Auckland Māori outcomes manager Paul White said the programme was a meaningful example of whanaungatanga, a key pillar of the port’s “Regaining Our Mana” strategy.

As a council-owned organisation, Port of Auckland has a responsibility to establish and implement a Māori outcomes framework that recognises the Treaty of Waitangi and aligns with Auckland Council’s Māori outcomes programme “Kia Ora Tāmaki Makaurau”.

The Rumaki Reo programme is an initiative born out of Port of Auckland’s Māori Outcomes Framework and plays a key role in contributing to the port’s workplace culture by fostering collaboration and inclusivity.

Rumaki Reo graduate Valerie Wijaya said: “It is always incredible to be part of a company that supports the kaupapa and your personal growth. The transformative journey that the port has gone through has been incredibly huge and powerful, which makes me even more proud to be part of that ride.

“The last six months has been a beautiful journey that is beyond just learning about the language. The understanding of tāhuhu kōrero and tikanga, and the whole learning experience with all my peers has been nothing but the highlight of this year.”

White said: “I acknowledge our executive leadership team for enhancing the mana of this auspicious occasion by supporting our people at Waipapa Marae.”