The Five Hidden Barriers Keeping Māori and Pacific Jobseekers Out of Work

Unemployment statistics tell part of the story. As of September 2025, Māori unemployment sits at 10.5 percent and Pacific peoples at 12.1 percent—more than double the national rate of 5.3 percent. (Source: HRD New Zealand, November 2025)

But statistics don't tell you why. They don't show what's actually happening in people's lives. They don't capture the phone that isn't there, the bus that doesn't go close enough, or the overseas experience that gets dismissed at the front door of a New Zealand employer.

Over the past 22 months, Project Moana has worked with hundreds of Māori and Pacific jobseekers across Auckland. We've helped 85+ people find real, sustainable employment. And in that time, we've learned something important: the barriers keeping talented people out of work are specific, solvable, and largely invisible to employers.

Here's what we've learned on the ground.

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1. Digital Access Is the First Wall

Before someone can apply for a job, they need a device. An email address. A way to write and send a CV. Many of the people we work with don't have any of these. No laptop. No phone. No internet access at home. Sometimes, they don't even have the basic digital skills.

This isn't just a skills problem. It's an access problem. And it locks people out before they've even started applying for jobs.

What we do: We deploy some laptops into communities, partner with local libraries to use their computer labs, and provide devices during workshops so people can build CVs, access job listings, and communicate with employers. Removing this barrier alone has been one of the biggest unlocks for our people.

2. Language Can Be a Barrier, But Community Is the Solution

For many of our participants, English is a second, third, or even fourth language. Navigating job applications, interviews, and workplace communication in a non-native language is genuinely hard.

What we do: Our facilitators are bilingual and experienced in simplifying content without watering it down. We also lean into peer group learning, putting jobseekers together so they can support, encourage, and translate for each other. The community becomes part of the solution. If necessary, we encourage our learners to enrol into English speaking programmes.

3. Transport Determines Whether Opportunity Is Real

You can find someone a job. But if they can't get there, it doesn't matter. For many of our participants, owning a car isn't an option. Fuel costs are high. Vehicles are shared across families. Public transport doesn't always connect where they live to where the jobs are.

What we do: We deliver programmes inside the communities where people live. And when it comes to job placements, we prioritise roles that are geographically close. If someone lives in Māngere, there's no point placing them in Pukekōhe. Proximity to home isn't a preference. It's a practical necessity.

4. Networks Don't Build Themselves

Many of our participants are starting from scratch in New Zealand. They don't know recruiters. They don't know employers. They haven't had the chance to build professional relationships. And in a job market where who you know still matters enormously, that's a serious disadvantage.

What we do: We bring the employers to our people. We partner with companies and recruiters who come directly to meet our graduates. At our most recent graduation, recruiters presented to our cohort in the final session, creating direct, human connections that have led to interviews and job offers. We also encourage volunteering as a way to build local networks and credibility.

5. New Zealand Doesn't Always Recognise What People Have Already Done

This one frustrates us. We work with people who have years of professional experience in management, trades, healthcare, and education from their home countries. And too often, that experience doesn't translate here. It's not recognised. It's not valued. So someone who led a team of thirty back home is told they don't have enough local experience.

What we do: We help people reframe their experience in ways New Zealand employers understand. We create pathways through volunteering, further study, and career pivots that build local credibility as stepping stones. Not as admissions of failure, but as smart strategy.

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What We Know After 85+ Placements

Every person we've placed into employment has navigated at least one of these barriers. Most have navigated all five. What makes Project Moana different isn't just what we teach. It's how we show up. We meet people where they are. We solve the practical problems that sit between them and a job. And we connect them directly to employers who are ready to hire.

The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard. (Source: Scoop, 2025) That's the problem. Project Moana is part of the solution.

If you're an employer looking for motivated, pre-vetted talent from Māori and Pacific communities, or a jobseeker ready to take the next step, we'd love to talk.

Contact Zeducation today.