Māori & Pasifika women in trades: Exploring the challenges and successes of Māori and Pasifika women studying automotive and trade-related courses at a large polytechnic in the North Island Aotearoa, New Zealand

Mount Albert (Auckland, N.Z.)
Auckland (N.Z.)
Aotearoa
New Zealand
Unitec, Te Pūkenga courses
Māori women
Pasifika women
trades education
student success
Māori students
Pasifika students
vocational education
Pasifika
automotive education and training
gender equity

ANZSRC Field of Research Code (2020)

450810 Tō te Māori mātauranga hangarau, mātauranga atu anō, mātauranga haere tonu, me te mātauranga hapori (Māori technical, further, continuing and community education)

451406 Pacific Peoples technical, further, continuing and community education

390114 Vocational education and training curriculum and pedagogy

Citation

Solomon, D. (2023). Māori & Pasifika women in trades: Exploring the challenges and successes of Māori and Pasifika women studying automotive and trade-related courses at a large polytechnic in the North Island Aotearoa, New Zealand (Unpublished document submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Practice). Unitec, Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology. https://hdl.handle.net/10652/6060

Abstract

In Aotearoa, New Zealand, gender-based occupational segregation is alive and well. The under-representation of women in trade studies and trade-based occupations is reflected in the statistics discussed. The Christchurch earthquake of 2011 highlighted the shortage of skilled trades people in New Zealand where women were identified as an untapped resource that could fill the skills gap to assist with the rebuild in Christchurch. This thesis explores the challenges and successes of Māori and Pasifika women studying automotive and trade-related courses. The research was conducted at a prominent Institute of Technology in the North Island, focusing mainly on the low enrolments and uptake of pre-trade study courses by Māori and Pasifika women. However, a broader overview of women in trade-related occupations is discussed focusing on trade culture, factors impacting women's career choices, gender role socialization and stereotypes, collegial challenges, the status of women's participation in trades, and educational guidance processes. In the New Zealand context, an overview of Māori and Pasifika women in trade study and occupations will be outlined. Correlations are drawn between women's and men's trade statistics to indicate national trends. The research participants for this study consisted of six Māori and six Pasifika women. Individual responses and findings indicated commonalities between women's challenges in the broader trade industry. The following challenges, successes, and ways to improve the learning experience were deduced from the participant's interviews. The challenges are racial discrimination, sexism, unconscious male bias, gender roles (male and cultural), the need to prove oneself, stigmas, work prospects, and vocational guidance at school.The successes are the value of achievement, completion of study and achieving higher qualifications. Things that could improve the learning experience were signalled as providing Māori (Ako) learning spaces that reflect Mātauranga Māori/Kaupapa Māori and Pasifika settings. Also, there was the suggestion to employ female tutors in trade-training.

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https://hdl.handle.net/10652/6060

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Applied Practice Dissertations and Theses

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