NZTech Inform – connecting teachers and industry

ShadowTech Teachers is back in 2022! As part of New Zealand’s tech workforce, you are invited to share your experience with teachers from local secondary schools. These teachers can then take their learnings into the classroom and help inspire their students to pursue tech careers. In partnership with the Ministry of Education, we are focusing the first ShadowTech Teachers campaign of 2022 on teachers of Pacific students.

This is an excellent opportunity to give back to your local community and help increase the number of Pacific people in the New Zealand tech industry. Currently, Pacific people are majorly underrepresented in New Zealand’s tech industry, numbering less than three percent of the total workforce. As digital skills become increasingly important, it’s vital we ensure Pacific learners are encouraged to consider tech careers.

Our tech mentors will have two teachers shadow them at work for half a day between 28 February – 4 March. It’s the ideal time to talk them through your role, career to date, share insights and discuss skills and qualifications. Everything you need to know about being involved is here.

In our latest release of Key Tech Sector Metrics you can clearly see the challenge illustrated. In 2020, revenues grew by 11.5 percent, tech exports grew 10.8 percent to $8.6b, digital exports grew by 23 percent, early stage investment grew by 48 percent, capital investment grew by 111 percent to $2.4b, research and development (R&D) spend grew by 14.3 percent, R&D staff tripled, and tech firms now employ more than five percent of the workforce, or over 100,000 people. However, only 27 percent are women, four percent Māori and 2.8 percent Pacific people. There have also been declining numbers of students taking and graduating from tertiary IT courses. In 2020, only 120 Māori and 85 Pacific students graduated with IT degrees, so let’s solve this challenge together!

It is almost time for entries into next year’s Hi-Tech Awards, the annual event we all come together and celebrate our success. Join Morris Pita, previous winner of Hi-Tech Kamupene Māori o te Tau, plus Sir Ian Taylor and Grant Straker at a free virtual Q&A session on 9 December. The 45 minute kōrero will highlight the benefits of entering and provide useful how-to advice, including which category to enter.

Meanwhile, this week we are focusing on the many opportunities to contribute to the Government process and have a say. We are currently working on the following submissions. If any of these are important for you please share your views:

Emissions Reduction Plan (24 November)

Digital Identity Trust Framework (2 December)

Stay well.

Ngā mihi,
Graeme Muller
CEO
NZTech