Māori Trades and Training Fund assessment criteria

Criteria description

Assessment of applications to the fund would recognise that Māori entities bring non-monetary benefits that help to effectively reach those in need of support to produce better outcomes.

Our assessment approach

We will apply the principles of Te Arawhiti’s engagement framework in our communications with applicants and during the assessment process. It is the Government’s intent that engagement with Māori and the Māori Crown relationship itself be guided by the following values:

• Partnership - the Crown and Māori will act reasonably, honourably and in good faith towards each other as Treaty partners.
• Participation - the Crown will encourage, and make it easier for Māori to more actively participate in the relationship.
• Protection - the Crown will take active, positive steps to ensure that Māori interests are protected.
• Recognition of Cultural Values – the Crown will recognise and provide for Māori perspectives and values.
• Use Mana Enhancing Processes - recognising the process is as important as the end point; the Crown will commit to early engagement and ongoing attention to the relationship.

These values provide a basis for working with Māori to respond to their range of needs, aspirations, rights and interests and provide active partnership with Māori in the design and implementation of processes and outcomes sought.

Key information

The following organisations are eligible to receive funding from the MTTF for employment focused training projects:

• A Māori authority registered by IR
• A Māori business (more than 50% Māori ownership (self-identified) or a Māori authority as defined by IR)
• Registered charity or incorporated society, with a stated focus on improving outcomes for Māori
• Statutory Māori Trust Board created by an Act of Parliament
• Post Settlement Governance Entity (PSGE)
• Commercial subsidiary wholly-owned by a PSGE
• Mandated Iwi Organisation under the Māori Fisheries Act 2004
• Coalition of Māori collectives
• Coalition with a non-Māori entity led by one of the above*

*An eligible coalition is a group of two or more entities, with a majority of the entities (more than half of the total membership) being eligible collectives.

Criteria description

This partnership approach sees funding from the Crown and cultural knowledge, expertise and connections to Māori communities from the Māori entities.

Our assessment approach

We will assess how applicants explain in their proposals what they will bring in terms of cultural knowledge, expertise and connections that make the way the project is delivered different, and more likely to engage Māori than other types of support. This could be through:

• delivering employment-focused training opportunities in a group or cohort setting
• programme design that incorporates Māori learning styles and connections (such as mātauranga Māori, kaupapa Māori)
• more intensive support services such as pastoral care, delivered in a way that is relevant and applicable to Māori
• applicants establishing connections with other employers to provide employment opportunities and have the support and commitment from the community and training providers to work together with them throughout the lifecycle of the project.

Key information

Funding will acknowledge how applicants invest culturally into their participants, including through mātauranga Māori, kaupapa Māori, intensive pastoral care, and employment connections. Applications will describe how the project is designed and delivered by Māori, for Māori. This includes:

• components of project which are in a Māori framework - this may be all or some of the components in terms of the learning style, training elements, pastoral care service
• the employment connections with Māori Employers
• at a minimum components of the project must include employment, training/qualifications, pastoral care for the lifecycle of the project.

Criteria description

Funding will favour projects that develop skills likely to be in demand over time, rather than just for an immediate project.

Our assessment approach

We will assess how applicants explain in their proposals how the project would help participants to engage in employment focused training opportunities that are either in, or relevant to, in-demand skills in the area. This could be through a Māori entity and could include:

• planning to employ participants directly for the applicant's own activities
• having partnerships in place with other employers that provide work for participants
• planning to provide training opportunities in skills that are in, or expected to be in the future, demand by employers
• providing work-readiness training or other types of support that help Māori to enter into training or employment in an in-demand area of employment.

We will look to a range of information sources to make an assessment of whether a project is targeted to an area of employment that is in demand, including, but not limited to, immigration skill shortage lists and discussions with the Regional Skills Leadership Group secretariats.

Key information

Preferred applications will demonstrate cultivating skills that will be in demand now and in the future. This can be demonstrated through employing participants directly in the applicant's activities or through evidence of strong partnerships that provide employment. This includes Apprenticeships, Trade Training qualifications from Levels 2-4, in-demand skills in the region and/or industry.

Preferred applications will clearly identify and describe the:

• training organisation (ITO, provider etc.) and the capacity of the provider to deliver the training
• training programme and qualifications i.e. name of the qualification, modules of training, delivery method of the training.

Criteria description

Proposals must employ and pay participants taking part in a project.

Our assessment approach

We will check to see that proposals commit to employing and paying participants for taking part in a project. This is to ensure participants are receiving income from the most appropriate and suitable source for the participants circumstances e.g. living wage. We will check to ensure there is no crossover of any funding sources.

In some cases where it is possible to do so, we will look to leverage funding for wage costs for participants from the most appropriate source across government, such as Mana in Mahi, Flexi-wage or the Apprenticeship Boost. In these cases, we will support applicants and relevant government agencies to make arrangements for funding participant wage costs from another source.

Key information

Wage subsidy is not the focus of this fund and is considered in consultation with other agencies.

It will be more appropriate to seek funding for a wage subsidy from other sources/programmes such as Mana in Mahi, Flexi-Wage or Apprenticeship Boost in the first instance. If a wage subsidy is not applicable or available from other sources, it may be considered from this fund.

For applications seeking wage subsidy, proposals must demonstrate that participants are employed from day one and who the employer will be.

Criteria description

Projects should address the barriers to enable upskilling and employment in disadvantaged communities, and support people to gain entry and remain in apprenticeships or access employment based training opportunities who otherwise may not be able to access such opportunities.

Our assessment approach

We will assess how applicants explain in their proposals how the proposed project would help Māori to address and overcome the known barriers to participating in training or employment. For example, we know that the following factors can be barriers:

• material hardship growing up, for instance experiencing intergenerational benefit dependency
• intergenerational benefit dependency
• poor mental or physical health or disability
• disengagement from school, and leaving school early with low or no educational qualifications
• limited opportunities for work experience
• caring responsibilities for children and/or family members
• access to transport.

We also welcome proposals that consider how a project could further target groups affected by the economic disruption from COVID-19, including wahine, sole parents and people with disabilities.

Key information

Preferred applications will demonstrate how they will enable participants in practical ways and through support activities to address barriers participants face. In particular addressing the barriers of the target groups in the proposal.

The focus is to assist participant's access training and services throughout the life cycle of the project.

Criteria description

Projects should be able to demonstrate how they provide a pathway for trainees to move into further training or employment opportunities to help move participants towards sustainable employment.

Our assessment approach

We will assess how applicants explain in their proposals how the project will help participants to move on to the next step of their training or employment pathway after their participation in the project ends. This could be moving on to further support, training or into, or staying in, employment.

Key information

Preferred applications will demonstrate a pathway approach for participants towards sustainable employment beyond the duration of the project.

The application will include how the project supports participants to successfully complete training and be assisted towards the next stage of their employment and further training as best suits the individuals aspirations.

Criteria description

Projects should be able to provide measurements on their outcomes, including the number of participants in a project, completing a project and what their outcomes are after participating in a project, such as attaining qualifications, upskilling, engagement in training whilst being employed leading to sustainable employment.

Our assessment approach

We will assess how applicants demonstrate how they plan to report on key outcomes from their project, including, but not limited to, the number of participants entering a project, the number of participants completing their participation in a project and the number entering further training or employment.

Key information

Applications will state the outcomes the applicant will achieve. Preferred outcomes centre around each of the criteria categories and may include:

• anticipated success rates by participants number, qualification and/or training completed
• progress of the participants in the project by defined timeframes
• barriers addressed
• how participants are being upskilled and/or are on track to gaining a qualification/sustainable employment.