In this episode of Stirring the Pot we’re talking with Naomi Manu.

Join us in this enlightening episode with Naomi Manu, founder of Pūhoro STEMM Academy and co-founder of Auraki Group, as we discuss the Tohu app. This innovative tool integrates traditional Māori practices for culturally grounded career mapping for Māori youth. Naomi explains how the app educates users about Māori values and community contributions, bridging gaps in access to traditional knowledge.

We also address equity in science education for Māori and Pacific students, highlighting the impact of systemic streaming and the Pūhoro program’s success. Finally, we explore the future of work and the importance of aligning careers with personal values. Tune in for an inspiring conversation on culturally relevant career guidance.

Connect with Naomi 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-manu/ 

Website: https://aurakigroup.com/equitable-ecosystems/ 

Connect with Auraki Group 

Website: https://aurakigroup.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/auraki-group-limited/ 

Connect with Troy 

Website: Troy Coyle 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troy-coyle-she-her/ 

Register to attend our launch ceremony ‘Ka rongo te pō! Ka rongo te ao!

When: 18 June 2024 from 10am. 

Where: HERA House, 17-19 Gladding Place, Manukau 

We anticipate this will be a very exciting event with attendance by a large cross-section of the education and research sectors, construction, engineering and manufacturing sectors, iwi and tauira (students).  

Our two kaupapa we will be launching are:

The Tohu App – this is a career pathway app for rangatahi. Statistics show there is a slow uptake of Māori into STEMM careers but tracking forward they will make up around 20% of our future workforce, so we have particularly targeted this app toward Māori students as we are keen to stimulate interest in and understanding of the possibilities in our sectors amongst younger generations through channels that they connect with.  

HERA partnered with Auraki Group to develop the app which consists of interactive questionnaires that allow students to discover their alignment to ngā atua, identify their strengths, skills, and interests, and match these core values to STEMM-related jobs that align with kaupapa Māori values.  

Ngākopa Construction 4.0 hub – as discussed in our podcast, our Endeavour supported research on Construction 4.0 “Developing a Construction 4.0 transformation of the Aotearoa New Zealand construction sector” has a dedicated focus on incorporating mātauranga Māori. As part of this mahi, the Ngākopa karakia and a branding entity developed from it has been gifted to represent our Construction 4.0 digital hub which will share research from across Aotearoa with links to this kaupapa. We are excited to publicly launch the Ngākopa branding and the digital hub as part of this ceremony.  

HERA partnered with Maui Studio’s to deliver this mahi based on the whakaaro and guidance of the Mātauranga Māori roopu.