ATEED has a stated mandate, intent and commitment to improve economic activity for Māori/Iwi. We are responsible for delivering the Whai Rawa – Māori economic well-being workstream of Auckland Council’s Te Toa Takitini initiative, which is a top-down approach to significantly lift Māori economic, social and cultural well-being across the region.
Key initiatives in Māori economic growth include the Whāriki Māori Business Network, a new initiative to encourage Māori business owners and professionals in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) to connect and network, and the DIGMYIDEA Māori Innovation Challenge, which provides the opportunity for all Māori living in Aotearoa/New Zealand to present ideas with the potential to grow the digital economy.
Find out more about goals and strategies in this area in The Auckland Plan and ATEED’s Statement of Intent.
Opened in May 2014, the GridAKL innovation precinct brings more than 140 like-minded technology companies together in the same area. GridAKL is helping Auckland become an innovation hub of the Asia-Pacific region.
We run the hub's day to day operations in partnership with Generator. When all construction is complete in 2022, GridAKL is forecast to contribute $450 million in GDP to the Auckland economy annually.
ATEED is working to increase the number and calibre of tertiary student entrepreneurs in Auckland to drive innovation. We’re actively supporting the development or expansion of 10 entrepreneurship programmes across four tertiary institutions – the University of Auckland, Auckland University of Technology, Unitec and Media Design School.
For this three-year plan, we’ve partnered with Auckland Council and Immigration New Zealand to attract and retain migrants whose skills play a critical role in Auckland’s economy, particularly in areas of skills shortage such as ICT and construction.
As well as filling the gaps in Auckland’s workforce, skilled migrants will also help stimulate economic growth through the transfer of knowledge and skills that support the necessary innovation and acceleration for growth.
The #BuildAKL campaign aims to get Auckland’s young people into employment in the thriving construction and infrastructure industry. Out of 600-plus entrants, 11 winners were given the opportunity to gain four weeks’ paid work experience in the industry in January 2017.
#BuildAKL has been developed by Auckland’s construction and infrastructure sector employers, in partnership with ATEED, as part of a commitment to ensuring our youth are entering employment, education and training.
Getting more young Aucklanders into construction and infrastructure is a win-win – it will help address a serious skills shortage in the industry and provide a huge range of jobs and career pathways for young people starting out.
The campaign raises awareness of the number and diversity of roles within the sector, from entry-level jobs to apprenticeships and skilled jobs requiring qualifications. #BuildAKL is for all Aucklanders aged 16 to 24, with a particular focus on attracting more young women, Māori and Pasifika into the sector.
The Youth Employer Pledge is a key initiative in Auckland’s Youth Employment Plan, which aims to get more young talent into work and career pathways. More than 50 leading Auckland businesses have now made the pledge to show their commitment to employing our young talent and we are actively seeking more businesses to make the pledge.
The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) is a programme that encourages innovation and provides business skills for the next generation of business leaders. ATEED plays a strategic role in delivering YES in the Auckland region, which is delivered by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce on behalf of the Young Enterprise Trust.