Whānau, friends and colleagues at Toitū Tairāwhiti Housing (TTH) celebrated the graduation of 32 workers who completed a 12-week training course to be able to work in the iwi housing development organisation.
The celebration took place at Te Wharau o Hineakua, Toitū Tairāwhiti Builtsmart, a six-bay, smart shelter facility opened by the organisation in October 2022. 
Many of the 32 graduates were JNL employees who lost their jobs at the end of last year when the sawmill closed.
Toitū Tairāwhiti Housing, along with other businesses, went to JNL and offered the staff there different opportunities.
TTH offered them a 12-week training programme, to be able to help build affordable homes for Tairāwhiti.
TTH managing director Annette Wehi said the graduates of the Whitīki Ora Workforce Development course have all shown they are committed and willing to learn.
“One challenge we have had is a labour deficit — we did not have enough workers for the mahi that needs to be done. So this training programme, funded by Te Puni Kōkiri, has helped us create employment opportunities whilst striving to meet the housing needs of Tairāwhiti.
“Among them we have seen real leaders emerge,” Mrs Wehi said.
The participants achieved unit standards in principles of home performance, low-level scaffolding, first aid, chainsawing, working at heights basic level, operating small plant for infrastructure work as well as te reo me ōna tikanga under Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, and facilitated by Tapeta Wehi, director of Te Wehi Haka - The Haka Experience.
Mrs Wehi said all the graduates who have not yet been employed will begin apprenticeships with TTH.
Jimmy Ratahi, 44, is proud of himself for completing the course and becoming an apprentice.
“I was one of many who was laid off before Christmas at JNL. It was a big shock.
“Toitū came in to show workers what opportunities they had and I went straight there. I always wanted to get back into building.”
Mr Ratahi started at JNL in 1998 and worked there for 15 years before moving to Tauranga and working with A1 homes,. When that fell through he came back to Gisborne.
He didn’t want to return to JNL but he couldn’t find any building work, so he went back and spent another nine years there before being made redundant last year.
“I had heard a few good words about Toitū,” he said.
He had no second thoughts about taking on the course.
“Getting back into te reo Māori and tikanga was something I hadn’t done since I was at school. It was quite nerve-racking at first but now I am used to it.”
Matthew Ducros, 48, came to Gisborne in 1981 and had been working at JNL for 24 years before he was laid off last year.
“It was a shock and I had to figure out what was next.”
When Toitū came into JNL he kept an open mind and put his name down for it.
“I wanted to try something different after spending half my life at JNL.”
Over the 12 weeks he learnt more and more.
“I’ve been here 12 weeks but it feels like I’ve been here longer as we have learnt a variety of stuff.”
Mr Ducros had never done anything related to te reo Māori me ōna tikanga, and setting foot on a marae was nerve-racking.
“But now I feel like I’m part of a whānau. I never thought about my ancestry but Tapeta helped me with that and I feel a lot more confident.”
For anyone who may be having to change their mahi, both Mr Ducros and Mr Ratahi say to just give it a go and keep an open mind.
Since the opening of Te Wharau o Hineakua, TTH has constructed and delivered 21 homes and 30 cabins for cyclone relief. It has 10 homes currently under construction.
