It's important to remember and acknowledge intersectionality, as everyone has multiple identities, and experience discrimination and privilege in different ways. 

Aotearoa’s labour force is increasingly ageing, with older workers making up to a third of labour force.


Ageing Workers

Inclusion is all about creating a sense of belonging for everyone. Inclusion means to acknowledge and value the uniqueness of individuals, and to ensure that everybody has equitable access to opportunities and resources. 

An inclusive workplace is a work environment where all people feel valued, where differences are seen as positive contributions to the organisation’s culture and business profile, and where access is provided to meet everyone’s needs.

Greater range of products/services and therefore audience

Attraction of more highly-skilled candidates

Greater potential for professional and personal development

Higher worker confidence and therefore higher productivity 

Positive company culture and improved workers engagement 

As an employer, there are lots of things you can do to ensure your workers feel safe, included and valued at work.
If you don't quite knowwhere to start or are simply insearch of inspiration to improve yourworkplace culture, the tools and tips below might be exactly what you are looking for.

Building belonging is the process of fosteringa sense of acceptance, value and respect among people, workers and communities. It involves creating a safe space for employees to feel at ease in their work environment. Building belonging can boost team collaboration, productivity, and an overall positive workplace.

Building Belonging: Paving the way for more inclusivity in the trades

There is so much great work going on to support workers from diverse identity groups in starting and continuing successful careers in the Trades.
Below are tools and resources created for specific group identities to support you in your inclusivity journey.


Aotearoa Inclusivity Matrix - Diversity Works New Zealand

Events & Learning | Diversity Works New Zealand - DiversityWorks

It's important to remember and acknowledge intersectionality, as everyone has multiple identities, and experience discrimination and privilege in different ways. 

The acronym LGBTQIA+ stands for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/Takatāpui, queer, intersex, asexual/aromatic/agenderand other gender and sexual minorities.” Terms such as rainbow and queer are also sometimes used as blanket terms for all these sexual minorities. You don’t need to understand all these terms, but to be respectful and listen.

An organisation with a diverse workforce can attract a variety of talents and different perspectives, which results in enhancing the company’s ability to provide services to diverse audiences.

Employing workers that belong to rainbow communities can bring significant benefits to your company and community and can contribute to making an overall shift in society.

4.9% of adults in Aotearoa belongs to the LGBTQIA+ community.

22% of workers Rainbow are confident that their managers would address bullying/harassment of a LGBTQ worker.

41% feel that their organisations should do more to support LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the workplace.

Higher risks of discrimination, bullying and harassment.

Lack of appropriate language /pronouns and facilities.

Steps to include Rainbow people in your workplace

Facilitate an inclusive and positive workplace:use gender pronouns in your signature, organize relationships building activities, share with your workers the annual Rainbow calendar as well as opportunities for Diversity and Inclusion development programs.

Ask what a person’s preferred pronouns are, and share yours.

Allocate an all-gender toilet (and bathroom facilities).

Highlight company’s policy on diversity.

Train your workers to handle queries from gender diverse candidates fairly.

https://www.tradecareers.co/media/building-belonging-the-series/gender-diversity-and-respect-in-the-trades

 * retain content of page as a resource itself – perhaps changing format*

Trans 101: glossary of trans words and how to use them

Career Development and Training, Human Resources, University of Otago, New Zealand

Practice with Pronouns -- Pronoun Selection

The kaimahi Māori workforce contributes significantly to Aotearoa New Zealand’s construction and infrastructure sectors. kaimahi Māori represents 16.7% of the construction workforce equating to about 48,500 individuals highlighting kaimahi Māori participation is vital to the sectors growth and sustainability.

Kaimahi Māori offer skills, knowledge, perspectives and values which can greatly benefit business performance and productivity as building cultural competency and integrating Māori perspectives, values, and practices into projects grows in importance.

Ensuring workplaces for kaimahi Māori that fosters greater inclusion and respect of Māori values and cultural norms, and connections to Te Ao Māori will build a more inclusive and supportive workplace culture.

Kaimahi Māori like all kaimahi deserve to be treated equally and respected ensuring a more diverse and resilient construction and infrastructure sector. 

16.% of kaimahi Māori work in New Zealand’s construction workforce

14% of Māori owned businesses make up all construction business

53% of Māori sole traders make up all construction business

Of those lost to suicide 21.3% were Māori compared to 16% that were lost from the Māori population outside of construction

Systemic biases in business and employment practices

Reduced income, due to the ethnic pay gap

Steps to include Māori people in your workplace

Facilitate an inclusive and positive workplace

Foster greater inclusion of te ao Māori perspectives within workplaces

Provide programmes to mentor and provide pastoral care for kaimahi Māori

Provide kaimahi Māori with ongoing training and development opportunities to support retention

Address bias and use culturally supportive hiring practices and methods

Zero-tolerance harassment/discrimination policy

Employment agreements that reflect tikanga Māori

Highlight your organisation’s diversity and inclusion policy

Promote integration of te ao Māori values by publishing business strategies or activities or projects that incorporating Māori values, Iwi networks and / or projects

https://www.waihangaararau.nz/maori-matters/

Enhancing Workplace Morale and Safety with Māori Concepts - Waihanga Ara Rau

Rauemireo | Reo resources - TeRangaihi Reo Māori

Welcome to TradeCareers, a practical toolbox filled with tips, resources, and links to help employers benefit from building inclusive workplaces for everyone. 

“International research shows that diverse and inclusive workplaces are more likely to attract high quality applicants, retain staff, and boost productivity.” - Rainbow Tick 


Through creating inclusive workplaces, companies can attract top talent in the industry, inspire productivity, and encourage a culture of innovation. Through maintaining an inclusive company culture, companies support their workersntothrive and encourages them to work in a way that maximises their true potential.

“The companies who are going to make it at the other end, particularly when times are tough, have the ability to be agile and utilise the talent that’s available to them. …Diversity offers you innovation and transformation.” - Samuelu Sefuiva, Mana Whakapai | AMPTI Manager, Māori & Pasifika Trades Training. 

Young workers hold the power of creating brighter future economy and society.
This working group is often underestimated and underutilised as employers often prefer hiring candidates with more experience and proven skills.

But employing younger people can be very beneficial for employers. Adaptable, keen to learn and full of energy, younger generations are a great asset to boost business productivity. They are also able to provide new ideas and perspectives that might improve older systems no longer functional. Training younger workers it’s also a smart move to guarantee the skills they apply in the workspace are the ones that best work for your business - and it might even result in having lifetime workers!

12.5% of youth (15-24 years old) are not in employment, education or training.

15% of young workers work in the construction industry.

24% of young worker report unfair waging.

22% of young workers work longer hours than per contract and/or are not paid for overtime.

15% suffer from harassment and discrimination.

Struggle to find a job as per lack of experience.

Higher risks of discrimination and harassment.

Unaware of their rights in the workplace and employers’ legal obligations.

Steps to include Young Workers in your workplace

Pair younger workerswith senior workers with solid experience and great interpersonal skills.

Create a culture that acknowledges and accepts the contributions of people of all ages.

Trust your young workers and be open to listen to their ideas and contributions.

Create career opportunities for younger workers to upskill, to provide them with a bright future and the industry with a capable next generation.

Zero-tolerance bullying and harassment policies.

Flexible working policies to support young workers who are studying.

Use social media channels to reach younger audiences.

Avoid personal characteristics, like age.

Stress that attitude and willingness to learn are more important than skills and experience.

Employing Young People | Young Employees | Auckland NZ

Youth Employment Toolkit - Youth Futures Foundation.

Hiring young people | Employment New Zealand

How to mentor your youth employees in work

How employers interview and onboard youth

How Employers Can Engage With a Youth Work Force

Mana in Mahi - For employers - Work and Income

Food and Fibre Skills Framework | Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence

Creating-a-Youth-friendly-Workplace-FINAL-27-Oct-2021.pdf

Aotearoa’s population is multi-ethnic, and continues to become more so. Coming from different cultural backgrounds, every migrant brings with them unique skills and qualities which contribute to building a bright future for the country.
Employing people from varied backgrounds can greatly benefit your workspace, as they can provide new perspectives and problem-solving approaches.
Multicultural work environments also build cross-cultural communication skills and encourages personal growth and cultural awareness for all workers. 

4% of migrant workers each year reported their employer had asked/expected them to pay money to get or keep their job.

3% of migrant employes in 2021 and 2% in 2022 were paid less than the adult minimum wage.

2% of migrant workers in 2021 and 1% in 2022 did not have a written employment agreement.

In 2022, 5% of migrant workers contacted someone for help with their working conditions.

More than half of migrant workers each year feels they had been treated unfairly because of their origin, with 31% of these workers in 2021 and 28% in 2022 experiencing this unfair treatment while applying for a job.

Ethnic/cultural discrimination and harassment.

Steps to include migrants in your workplace

Build an inclusive and positive workplace.

Support your migrant workers in learning English.

Facilitate a support network for your migrant workers.

Be open to providing support with local regulations they are not familiar with.

Train your English-speaking workers to communicate more effectively with the non-natives.

Provide non-native workers with ongoing training and development opportunities to support retention.

Cultural oriented policies (flexibility for cultural events and ceremonies).

Zero-tolerance discrimination and harassment policies.

Be specific with the job description - clear requirements and skills.

Be open to support the applicant with visa requirements.

ESOL Training Programs for Workplaces | Edvance Workplace Education

Settlement resources for employers | Immigration New Zealand

Hiring a migrant | Immigration New Zealand

“The companies who are going to make it at the other end, particularly when times are tough, have the ability to be agile and utilise the talent that’s available to them. …Diversity offers you innovation and transformation.” - Samuelu Sefuiva, Mana Whakapai | AMPTI Manager, Māori & Pasifika Trades Training 

The traditional recruitment strategy for a job or apprenticeship in the trades has been done by word of mouth, or by knowing someone at the company, whether that be a father, uncle, sister or cousin. 

But the trades are changing, the workforce is changing. And to be successful as an industry we all need to change the way we approach recruitment. 

Employers must look outside of their traditional hiring pools to reach more diverse talent. The great news is that recruiting and retaining a more diverse workforce not only creates career opportunities for traditionally underserved learners and careers seekers. It’s good for business. 

Auditing your recruitment strategy is a crucial first step to ensure that you are attracting and hiring the right talent for your organisation. 

Start by reviewing your current job descriptions and identifying any language or requirements that may discourage diverse candidates from applying.

Review your recruitment channels and assess which ones are most effective in attracting diverse candidates. Do you go to trade expos, have you teamed up with a local 

? Do you have a connection with iwi or churches? Do you use social media to share when you are looking for workers? 

Consider conducting surveys or focus groups to gather feedback from current and past candidates on their experience with your recruitment process. This can be a low-key thing, checking in with your current workers about what was good and what could be better is a great way to see where you can make some improvements. 

Site Visits and Work Experience. Consider a number of site visits or ‘come and try’ days throughout the year and invite local high schools or community groups along. The majority of people interested in getting into a career in the trades, are hands-on learners and really benefit from getting on the tools as early as possible. 

Review your hiring practices to ensure that they are free from bias and that candidates are evaluated based on their skills and qualifications rather than their demographic information. While it is easy to hire someone you know, are you really evaluating them on what they can do more than who they know? 

2. Create company policies that appeal to diverse candidates. 

It’s not just the paycheck, people want to know they are valued, respected and safe. These will mean different things for different people but here are a few great ideas to help recruit and retain a more diverse workforce. 

Pastoral care is really important in the trades. Supporting workers wellbeing makes good business sense.It’s not just how good someone is on the tools,it's also about how they are feeling. For example: an employer we spoke to has a van that he picks up his workers in each morning, another has a special person that he employs 4 days a month to check-in on the health of his team. Check out the employment and training support that 

Māori and Pasifika Trades Training Association

 provides, or the mental health workshops

 accredited business and commit to reporting and closing your gender pay gap. 

Be open to flexible work options. Many people have caring responsibilities - doing school drop offs, sports days or helping their elderly relatives attend a doctor’s appointments. Knowing that an employer is open to flexible work options is a key consideration in their decision to join you as aworker.

 on how to set up Flexible work options no matter the size of your business. And update your Paid Parental Leave policy to make sure that you are being inclusive to all workers.

Career pathways - people want to know that there is a future for them in the trades, make sure that your company policies include professional development and detail this in your job advertisements. Provide educational and training opportunities. This can include offering apprenticeships, trade school programs, micro-credentials and on-the-job training. These programs can help people gain the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the trades, regardless of their background or experience. 

“You can open a door or a gate, but you have to guide and support them through that… If you do care for your staff and as long asyou're a good person and you care for them, they'll work hard for you.” - Nathan Te Miha, Construction Director of Iconiq Group, He/Him 

3. Target places where diverse candidates hang out. 

Increasing the visibility of your organisation helps attract a more diverse pool of candidates and showing people that you are committed to hiring diverse groups of people is a great way to build trust and belonging. 

This can include working with community organisations, sports groups, industry associations, job fairs, cultural events, and social media groups. You can also partner with these organisations to promote your job opportunities or attend their events to network with potential candidates. 

Think beyond school leavers - for example, the largest % of women career seekers looking for opportunities in the trades are 25 plus. They come with transferable skills, life experience and passion.

Working with a recruiter can also be helpful to reach a wider range of candidates.. 

If you have never advertised your job vacancies or apprenticeship opportunities, now is a good time to do it. Try posting on job boards and job sites like TradeMe Jobs or Seek. 

It is also good to think about the fact that you are not just hiring for your team but for your customer. With a diverse workforce, people from all different backgrounds and identities will feel more comfortable if they see themselves represented in your team. 

4. Encourage your existing workersto refer to their connections. 

Encouraging existing workers to refer to their connections is a great way to increase diversity in the trades. By leveraging the networks of your current workers, you can tap into a wider pool of potential candidates, many of whom may not have considered a career in the trades. We all like a personal recommendation, and if your current diverse workers are happy and willing to refer you to their connections you are on to a winner! 

One of the biggest barriers to recruitment of diverse people in the trades is cultural. Many cultures may not be familiar with trades as a career path or may not consider them as viable options. You can take steps to address these cultural barriers by partnering with local schools and community organisations, iwi/hapu and skills hubs to promote trades careers, and by providing language and cultural training to help workers better understand and work with people from diverse backgrounds. 

6. Offer Competitive Wages and Benefits 

This can include offering bonuses, retirement plans, insurance deals, access to health benefits, professional development or mentoring. 

This is the first encounter the candidate is having with you and your workspace; how do you make your space welcoming to people? Some people meet for a coffee to ensure everyone feels more relaxed. Be open to sharing your values and answering any questions the candidate may have. 

Offer a tour of your site and meet some of the team so they can get a feel for the environment they’ll be working in. 

What do you have in your workspace that is unique to you? Is there a Friday drink that you could invite the prospective worker to, in order for them to meet the team? 

“If you're going into an interview and you've got a panel of people interviewing, it's intimidating….Bring them into a coffee shop or a mutual sort of setting so you can have an honest, open relationship and conversation with them… You got to see them as a person rather than your potential employee.” - Donna Wilson, Social and Broader Outcomes Advisor, McDonnell Dowell, She/Her 

8. Promote the Benefits of a Career in the Trades 

And finally,a great way to attract more diverse people to the trades is to highlight the benefits of a career in the trades. Trades careers offer financial stability, job security, and opportunities for advancement, and no two days are the same! These things can be especially appealing to people who are looking for a career that can provide stability and growth and who love working in different environments. 

Despite significant progress, women continue to face unique challenges in the workplace, from gender pay gaps to sexual harassment and advancement barriers. Understanding these challenges is the first step towards creating more equitable workplaces.

There are 13.5% of women in the trades including in administration roles.

60% of women expressed interest in entering the trades.

79% of trade employers surveyed would like to hire female workers into their businesses but need support to do so.

Women make up 48% of the general workforce but only 28% of executive positions.

The gender pay gap in 2023 remains at 9.1%.

42% of women report experiencing gender discrimination at work.

Unconscious bias in hiring and promotion decisions.

"Double bind" expectations (being perceived as either too assertive or too passive).

Disproportionate impact of family responsibilities on career progression.

Lack of representation in senior leadership roles.

Higher rates of workplace harassment and microaggressions.

Set clear diversity targets for leadership positions.

Take action when policies aren’t adhered to.

Keep the list of requirements to do the job minimal. Does someone really need everything you ask, or could they learn them on the job?

Highlight flexibility and support for work-life balance.

Highlight diversity initiatives and sponsorship opportunities.

Pacific peoples have made significant contribution to Aotearoa New Zealand for more than a century - economically, socially, politically and culturally.They make up the youngest and fastest growing population in Aotearoa.
Employing people from diverse Pacific backgrounds can greatly benefit businesses, as they bring to their workplace different skills and new perspectives.

8.9% of Aotearoa’s population are Pacific Peoples.

17.7% of Pacific peoples are underutilised (this data includes the unemployed and underemployed).

Latest figures show that Pacific peoples contribute 8 billion dollars to New Zealand’s GDP per annum.

Only 4.1% of Pacific employees reported experiencing no discrimination in any capacity.

Pacific workers have significantly lower median income, with a 13.5% pay gap. And this is even higher for female Pacific workers.

Steps to include Pacific People in your workplace

Educate all workersabout Pacific cultures, customs, and values.

Provide Pacific workers with ongoing training and development opportunities to support retention.

Support Pacific workers with language barriers where relevant.

Engage with Pasific communities to build business capability and connect with potential employees.

Cultural oriented policies (i.e. flexibility for cultural events and ceremonies).

State you are looking for someone with Pacific knowledge, if relevant for role.

Highlight company’s policy on diversity, and state you are wanting a diverse workforce.

Industry LEO: Supporting Pacific Talent in Construction - Waihanga Ara Rau

Improve your workplace culture to attract, retain and enable Pasifika talent.

Aotearoa’s labour force is increasingly ageing, with older workers making up to a third of labour force.
As the workforce ages, it is important for businesses to retain or hire older workers to guarantee their precious knowledge, experience and skills are utilised as much as possible and passed on to the next generation of workers.

Employing and retaining ageing workers also brings a healthy balance to the workspace, as workers of different age groups provide different outlooks and ideas.

It’s also good to remember that ageing workers tend to stick around jobs for longer and to be more loyal and reliable. Job stability and low job turnover are linked to improved productivity.

36.7% of workers in 2023 were aged 45-64.

81% of employers stated older workers are equally, or more, productive than younger worker.

• 81% of older workers prefer a challenging and rewarding role instead of an easy transition into retirement

• Only 10% of older workers have no financial need for work.

Poor health or limited physical mobility.

Losing their job as believed unable to meet targets.

Steps to include Ageing Workers in your workplace

Offer flexible working arrangements (i.e. part-time work)

Plan the distribution of tasks across your team in way that ensures your ageing workers feel useful and confident in the workspace.

Train and upskill older workers so they can utilise their experience and knowledge in modern ways.

Health & Safety policies that meet the needs of mature workers.

Use age-inclusive language and avoid words that target only younger audiences.

State job requirements clearly, stating length of shifts and tasks that require physical labour.

Publicize your ad on local newspapers and with flyers or posters, as not everyone is familiar with technology.

Ageing workers

Tools and Resources