At a recent NZAGE forum event, Watercare – winners of the 2024 NZAGE Diversity and Inclusion Award – shared insights into their strategy for increasing Māori and Pacific representation in early talent programmes and, more broadly, within Aotearoa’s engineering workforce. The session, led by Naomi Houston, offered a clear overview of the organisation’s efforts and impact.

Why Representation Matters in Engineering

As New Zealand’s largest water and wastewater utility, Watercare serves over 1.7 million Aucklanders. While many know the organisation through their monthly water bill, its work reaches far beyond billing. Each day, Watercare delivers more than 400 million litres of water and invests $3.5 million in upgrading and expanding infrastructure — much of it hidden beneath the city’s streets.

Engineers at Watercare make decisions that shape communities, influence land use, and impact future generations. Because of this influence, diverse perspectives are essential. Historic decisions — such as locating a major wastewater outfall next to the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei settlement in 1914, or the long delay in connecting Ihumātao to the sewerage system — reveal the consequences of decisions made without representation from affected communities.

Watercare acknowledges that a more representative engineering workforce, one that reflects the communities it serves, is critical to creating a more equitable future for Aotearoa.

The Current Challenge

Nationally, Māori and Pacific peoples remain significantly under-represented in engineering. According to the 2023 Diversity Agenda Accord, Māori make up just 2.4% of the engineering workforce. At the University of Auckland, only 8% of engineering graduates over the past decade have identified as Māori or Pacific. At Watercare, current representation stands at 5% Māori and 6% Pacific — a gap the organisation is committed to addressing.

What’s Working?

Weaving Kaupapa Māori into Early Talent Programmes

Watercare has reimagined its early careers pipeline through the lens of kaupapa Māori values, integrating these principles into every stage — from attraction and selection, to development and progression.

Attraction: Authenticity and Word of Mouth

Authentic representation lies at the heart of Watercare’s attraction strategy. Real interns and graduates feature prominently in recruitment materials, shown on-site and actively contributing to meaningful work. Communications include te reo Māori, reinforcing a message that Māori and Pacific talent can thrive at Watercare.

Recognising that word of mouth is a powerful influence for Māori and Pacific students, Watercare builds genuine relationships through student clubs, community advocates, and trusted networks. Opportunities are often discovered not through job boards, but through personal referrals.

The organisation also begins engagement early, often in students’ second year, and provides scholarships to Māori and Pacific engineering students at the University of Auckland and MIT. It partners deeply with iwi such as Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and Waikato-Tainui, as well as community organisations like:

• SPIES (South Pacific Indigenous Engineering Students)
• MAPS (Māori and Pacific STEM at AUT)
• SPPEEx (South Pacific Professional Engineering Excellence)

These partnerships are grounded in reciprocity, not transactions. In one example, Watercare covered the full licence test cost for an intern, helping remove a barrier to full participation in their placement. Even when roles aren’t available, Watercare supports candidates by connecting them to other values-aligned employers.

Selection: Equity and Potential Over Experience

The selection process has been redesigned to centre equity. Candidates referred through partner organisations are guaranteed a first interview, bypassing initial video screening stages — a recognition of the trust and informal assessments already made through community relationships.

Watercare uses a strengths-based recruitment model, assessing candidates based on potential, values alignment, and learning ability. For early career roles, the emphasis is placed not on technical experience, but on readiness to grow.

Interview processes are mana-enhancing, transparent, and inclusive. Panels include diverse representation and someone from the People team to ensure the process is both fair and culturally safe. In 2022, Watercare’s graduates rated their recruitment experience 9.3 out of 10 — a reflection of the thoughtful, inclusive design.

Development: Creating Conditions for Long-Term Success

Recruiting diverse talent is just the beginning. Watercare ensures its workplace fosters a strong sense of belonging and long-term success.

All Māori and Pacific interns and graduates are matched with mentors who share their cultural background. Developmental support includes:

• Te Rauua Whetū (internal watercare team) training (tikanga Māori, te reo)
• Noho marae experiences
• Initiatives like Girls with Hi-Vis and the Wonder Project
• Whānau-inclusive orientation events
• Cultural celebrations (Matariki, Pacific Language Weeks)
• Pacific-focused networks and forums such as Vunilagi Pasifika

Intern projects are also judged through a Te Ao Māori lens, encouraging meaningful application of learning.

Watercare also supports clear progression pathways. When a former intern was promoted to Engineering Team Lead in 2024 — a role traditionally requiring a decade of experience — the organisation responded by developing project management training and defined stepping stones to senior roles. The outcome: high retention, strong performance, and growing internal demand for Māori and Pacific talent.

What’s Next?

Through its sustained, values-based approach, Watercare now achieves 40–50% Māori and Pacific representation in its intern and graduate programmes — well above industry benchmarks.

Watercare’s journey illustrates that culturally grounded, people-focused design can drive meaningful change. However, achieving this requires deep commitment, strong partnerships, and the courage to challenge conventional systems.

Congratulations to the Watercare team for their leadership and innovation in advancing diversity and inclusion across New Zealand’s engineering sector.