Māori Construction Business Capability Development
Summary of Current State Analysis Report - February 2024
Māori Construction Business Capability Development
Executive summary
The construction sector plays an important role in New Zealand’s economy. In 2022, the construction sector employed over 290,000 New Zealanders and contributed to 7.1 per cent of New Zealand’s GDP. Māori are well represented in this sector, making up 16.7 per cent of this workforce and 10.95 per cent of business owners. The growth of the sector, its workforce, and Māori businesses within it, provide a great opportunity to support wider socio -economic outcomes for Māori whānau and communities.
The Māori Construction Business Capability Development report describes the current state of Māori businesses within the construction sector and identifies potential opportunities to further support business capability development. While its focus is primarily on exploring issues of Māori-owned businesses (defined as those with ownership of at least 50% of people who have whakapapa Māori), it also includes data relating to significant employers of Māori (defined as those with at least 75% of the workforce are Māori) to provide a holistic understanding of Māori business issues across the sector.
We analysed two primary quantitative data sources to inform the insights in this report. Te Puni Kokiri's Te Matapaeroa research database into Māori business and Waihanga Ara Rau’s Workforce Information Platform. We also undertook qualitative interviews with a range of Māori construction business owners and capability uplift providers to further supplement knowledge of current needs and existing support mechanisms.