The owners of Tamaki Maori Village have teamed up with local education provider Toi Ohomai to help staff with employment and training opportunities post Covid-19.

Local Ahuwhenua Trust - Tauhara North No.2, the tourist attraction's owners - has forged the new partnership to ensure Tamaki Maori Village staff impacted by Covid-19 get the retraining required - if they need it.

Tauhara North No.2 Trust chairman Ngahihi Bidois says New Zealand is facing unprecedented times and many organisations and families have been impacted by Covid-19.

'During the lockdown, the trust decided to retain all 110 employees to line up with the trust's values and manakitanga.”

Ngahihi says they retained their staff during the Covid-19 lockdown period with support from the Government wage subsidy.

Tamaki Maori Village operations and marketing manager Lady Saifiti says establishing the partnership with Toi Ohomai is an innovative way to help their staff, the wider community and local economy recover post-Covid-19.

'Many of our whānau have only ever known tourism as employment," says Lady.

"While the New Zealand tourism industry recovers, this partnership allows our people the opportunity to upskill in primary industries.”

Tauhara North No.2 Trust has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Toi Ohomai, this strategic partnership presents all Tamaki employees with retraining opportunities.

With training in place, the business will also focus on relaunching its award-winning evening entertainment programme at the village, which is expected to begin on Friday, July 3.

Ngahihi says the MOU means intensive training courses will be delivered in primary industries in readiness for Government projects, local infrastructure projects and DOC projects.

'Our focus is on our people.

"Realistically, we cannot retain everyone across the recovery period, but we can and should be ensuring our people have employment opportunities and retraining options to ensure they can provide for their families,” he says.

'We want our people qualified so they are on the front foot of employment opportunities within the primary industry sector, which is calling out for a qualified workforce.”

Lady says the government has announced a significant amount of putea (money, resources) for apprenticeships and cadetships in primary industries.

'This partnership puts Tamaki whānau at an advantage to gain access to these initiatives.

"If our people become builders, carpenters, agriculturalists and farmers post Covid-19 then this becomes a success, a practical way for our community to recover.”

Ngahihi says the success of the partnership will not end with Tamaki.

'Tamaki is just the beginning and we hope other tourism partners, local Māori, iwi and the wider community will look at getting on this kaupapa with us.”

In 2018, Tauhara North No.2 purchased Tamaki Māori Village. The Trust is an Ahuwhenua Maori Land Trust within the rohe of Ngati Tahu/Ngati Whaoa.

It has commercial assets in energy, farming, health and property.

An official pohiri was held this morning at Tamaki Māori Village to celebrate the signing and launch of MOU.