Founder of New Zealand’s First Wāhine Māori-Owned Civil Construction Company Inspires Ākonga

Toi Ohomai proudly hosted the final Wāhine Māia - Women in Trades event for 2024, with more than 50 wāhine ākonga from five campuses turning out to connect and draw inspiration from female leaders in the construction industry. 

The highlight of the wananga (workshop) held in Rotorua on Wednesday 2 October, was hearing from Kat Kaiwai (pictured presenting above), the owner of Tairāwhiti Contractors - the only wāhine Māori-owned civil construction company in Aotearoa.

Kat's journey in the civil construction sector demonstrates the growing options available to female tradespeople, with grit and determination. Kat was recently recognised with a King's Service Medal for her outstanding contributions to her community. Following the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, Kat and her civil team helped with a variety of works in order to maintain essential services in Gisborne, and for supporting local residents in need.

Addressing the students at the Mokoia campus in Rotorua, Kat shared her insights on the evolving perception of employment opportunities for wāhine living in the regions.

"Women who once believed they needed to leave home to seek out in-demand career options, or hadn't considered roles in traditionally male-dominated industries, have learnt how construction can be a viable and valuable source of income for wāhine in their hometown. Half of my Tairāwhiti Contractors team are women, which makes me really proud," Kat said.

Te Atamairangi Emery-Hughes, a Toi Ohomai construction graduate and successful contractor, also presented at the wananga. Sharing her journey as a builder and māmā of two, Te Atamairangi emphasised the flexibility she is afforded as a self-employed contractor in the construction industry.

"Recently, my whānau and I moved back to our ancestral home in Rotoiti… value your worth and trust your instincts," Te Atamairangi told the audience, highlighting the importance of balancing personal and professional responsibilities.

"I set my own hours and rates, and prioritise building projects that best suit my skill set," she said.

The focus of the event was 'Arotakenga – Surveying Your Potential,' covering topics such as careers and employability, hauora (health and wellbeing) and resilience. Following the presentations, participants shared kai and chatted about apprenticeships and mastering job applications. The session also provided opportunities for networking.

Attendees said the session gave them a new perspective on the many opportunities and career pathways available in the trades, including options like self-employment, which they hadn’t considered before.

Established in early 2023, Wāhine Māia - Women in Trades serves as a vital networking forum for women pursuing trade programmes at Toi Ohomai. The initiative, embedded in kaupapa Māori, was founded by Māori Success Manager, Mel Katu and Associate Dean, Suzanne Brotherton. It was designed to create a supportive environment where aspiring tradeswomen can share experiences, learn, build connections, and support each other in what has been a traditionally male-dominated industry. 

Each Wāhine Māia event is free to attend and features an industry guest speaker. Ākonga are also provided with resources to help them upon entering workforce, such as hi-vis vests and industry-related tools and materials kindly donated by local trade businesses.

Wāhine Māia will return in 2025

Female trades ākonga at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology are encouraged to register to join the networking forum by emailing [email protected].

Free buses will be made available to enable regional ākonga to make the quarterly events held in Rotorua or Tauranga.