Whānau Day 2025 aims to put Pacific, Māori youth on the tech map

Organisers of the Whānau Day 2025 are inviting Māori and Pacific families to attend their free event in South Auckland this weekend, aimed at inspiring youth and families to explore careers in technology.

Whānau Day 2025, a joint effort between Amazon Web Services’ The Dreamhouse and TipuTech, will be held from 9am to 4pm at the Due Drop Event Centre in Manukau. The event will connect educators, industry leaders, and role models with families to discuss training and career opportunities in Aotearoa’s digital economy.

It follows last year’s successful Whānau Day 2024, which attracted more than 300 people, including children fresh from sports games and whānau learning together, with support in the form of giveaways such as laptops, speakers, and food bags.

Speaking with John Pulu on PMN Tonga, Otako Kaufusi, the AWS Dreamhouse lead and event organiser, says Whānau Day intentionally aims to provide Pacific and Māori communities with greater exposure to careers in technology.

“We all know about pathways through law, health or engineering, even in the sports field, but technology is something that's quite new to our people. So that's the whole idea around Whānau Day, the Dreamhouse edition,” Kaufusi says.

“To raise awareness around the technology industry, the opportunities around earning power, and the different types of jobs that you can get through technology. So the experience that people will find is going through and talking to different organisations throughout the day.”

Listen to Otako Kaufusi’s full interview on PMN Tonga below.

Organisers expect over 1000 students and their families to participate. This year’s programme features hands-on tech demonstrations, prize draws, and guest speakers from across the industry.

Kaufusi confirmed that the roster includes Pulu as MC, Alexia Hilbertidou, Founder and Chief Executive of GirlBoss NZ, Dan Te Whenua Walker of Microsoft New Zealand, Louise Cooper, Director of Data and AI at News Corp Australia, and representatives from Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Beyond the speakers, the programme will include school performances, hip-hop dance acts, and free food for visitors. Companies like Fonterra, Spark Foundation, Intel, Code Avengers, Lancom Technology, Hudson Gavin Martin, and One New Zealand will host interactive stalls.

Despite making up a combined 17 per cent of New Zealand's population, Māori and Pacific people remain significantly underrepresented in Aotearoa's fast-growing technology industry. Te Ariki Te Puni, Kōtui Managing Director, says opportunities in tech “often bypass Māori and Pasifika", who account for only four per cent of the sector’s workforce.

Organisers say the wider industry needs 30,000 new tech workers by 2030 to meet demand, with AI-skilled employees earning about 30 per cent higher salaries. They also say that 78 per cent of Gen Z workers want to acquire AI skills.

Priscila Bernardes, the chief executive of Lancom Technology, says it’s about “breaking down barriers” and showing youth that they belong in the technology sector. Waruna Kirimetiyawa, a former CEO of Lancom, adds that events like this can provide “that spark towards a brighter future” for rangatahi.

Kaufusi emphasises the importance of visibility, saying that seeing other Pacific and Māori people in tech normalises this career path for their communities.

He says pursuing a career in technology brings benefits such as earning potential and work flexibility, as technology encompasses most people’s everyday lives.

“If you're not going to get into technology, at least [having] the awareness, knowing what's out there… would be helpful for our people. If you're free on Saturday… you can just turn up, and there'll be space there for you throughout the day,” Kaufusi says.

“I would highly recommend you come along. It's a family event, so it's for kids, for parents, for everyone. Just come and have a look, and you never know what you'll find there.”