South Auckland youth enter the tech chat

South Auckland’s Pacific young people are plugging into the world of tech during the biggest celebration of technological innovation in Aotearoa New Zealand.

This week is New Zealand Tech Week or Techweek25 and with events across 18 regions, participants analyse how tech promotes sustainability, increases exports, and influences future jobs.

The Cause Collective (TCC) is onboard helping Pacific youth to crack the code on AI Technology, holograms, digital art, and more, in hopes to inspire young tech talent into the industry.

TCC’s South Auckland Creative Tech Hub (SACTH), in collaboration with Spark Foundation, is hosting an event called South Auckland To The Tech World, and aims to showcase tech experiences to youth.

According to Creative Lead Muliagatele Danny “Brotha D” Leaoasavai’i, it is all about offering direct exposure and opportunities to young Pacific people.

“I'm not really a big tech head but what I do know is our young people and I've worked with them for many years,” Brotha D tells NiuFM’s The Morning Shack.

The programme includes creative art sessions, interactive workshops with a holobox (hologram in a box), and a guest speaker from Apple.

“This tech opportunity is a good leveler for our young people…and a lot of our kids are just getting average jobs.

“In the tech field there's some really good jobs going on, even if you don't achieve that, at least you've got your head around tech and AI and all that…so you know that's really what this was all about.”

Apple’s representative is Strategic Leader Emily Bustamante and she offers global knowledge and perspective as a woman in the industry.

Brotha D is asking that she shares her story about making the big leap from her small town to a giant tech company.

“How did a young girl from Tūwharetoa...make it through this journey... our kids need to hear the journey.

“Then hopefully they can map it out themselves or we can be the helping hand to map that out for them.”

Brotha D, a New Zealand hip hop music icon of the ‘90s and early 2000s, co-founded the prominent Dawn Raid Entertainment record label and has helped launch many of the massively influential Pacific artists such as Savage, Aaradhna, Adeaze and K.A.O.S.

Since establishing SACTH, Brotha D continues to draw on his commercial and creative experience and develop programs that upskill and empower Pacific and Māori youth.

Brotha D hopes they can reveal as many opportunities to young people as possible, saying this is a “brainchild” from research highlighting tech and creative industries as key growth areas for South Auckland.

“We believe South Auckland holds an incredible reservoir of untapped talent and our role here is to break down barriers and show our youth that the tech industry, like the music industry, is not only for them, but it needs them.”

As the global technological age takes off, it is no wonder why there are a number of Pacific people breaking barriers within the industry working to bridge the digital divide among Pacific communities in Aotearoa.

The likes of Michel Mulipola, who is an animator and does artwork for Disney from his garage in Māngere, the powerhouse Pasifika women of Fibre Fale, Julia Arnott-Neenee and Namulau’ulu Nu’uali’i Eteroa Lafaele, who among many things offer a free AI Masterclass.

“There's some incredible Pacific people in tech, there's a young man by the name of Jacob Luamanuvae Su’a in Wellington who works for Wētā, he did the face recognition stuff for Thanos,” Brotha D says.

“There's a lot of Pasifika who are involved in tech but nobody's heard of them and I really want to shed some light on that.

“If our kids see our people in there and literally on top of the world in this industry, they too may be able to strike something and get going.”

South Auckland To The Tech World will be held on Thursday, 22 May at TCC’s hub from 9.30 am - 2.30pm.

Tickets are available here.