MANA TAKATA STORY
Paving the way for others to succeed
A former Ōtākou kāik kid has made it her mission in life to ensure everyone has a fair chance at getting into quality employment.
7 March 2024
Earlier this month, the Mana Takata team welcomed its newest Team Leader – Andrea Shaw (Ngāpuhi).
The youngest daughter of Parry and Leonie Thomas, Andrea has stepped up to the role as Kaiārahi / Team Leader for the Employment, Trades & Training team which sits under the Mana Takata pou.
“I’m really excited to take on this position to help whānau realise their potential and get into sustainable mahi. We work one on one with whānau to identify their challenges and find ways to overcome them. Becoming a manager so quickly has been a surprise but one I’m ready to take on and serve our papatipu rūnaka and communities,” she says.
Andrea replaces everyone’s favourite ‘ogre’ Paul Miller, who has taken on a new role with Stellar Recruitment as regional manager.
At Aukaha, Paul worked with more than 300 whānau across Otago by helping them over come barriers to employment and creating pathways for success, Kaiwhakahaere Mana Takata Chris Rosenbrock says.
“Paul established the Trades and Training programme here at Aukaha which was the vision of former Aukaha Chief Executive Tahu Potiki. Since then, Paul has worked tirelessly for the betterment of whānau. We wish him all the best on his next journey,” says Chris.
“While Paul made a huge impact, Andrea has already started bringing a focused approach to the Employment, Trades & Training team and I’m looking forward to seeing how she implements a streamlined wraparound support service that empowers whānau to find sustainable employment that fits their needs and goals.”
No stranger to adversity, Andrea became the first female scaffolder in the southern hemisphere at just 18 years old, much to her Dad’s pride. Despite her grandfather telling her that woman couldn’t be scaffolders, Andrea’s career took her all over Te Ika a Māui and saw her gain her scaffolding qualification at just 18 years old.
She later returned to Ōtepoti Dunedin where she worked alongside her Dad managing teams throughout Otago and Central Otago.
In 2005, after her Dad sadly passed, Andrea switched careers to technical support services. She worked for several mega companies, moved to a government call centre and then finally found her feet in recruitment for ten years. However, her experience in the sector wasn’t what she expected.
“When I started in trade recruitment, it became clear to me that there was an aversion to hiring females and people of colour. So, I made it my mission to ensure everyone was given a fair chance at employment. I made sure to not take no for an answer,” she says.
"When I started in trade recruitment, it became clear to me that there was an aversion to hiring females and people of colour. So, I made it my mission to ensure everyone was given a fair chance at employment.
"I made sure to not take no for an answer."
– Andrea Shaw, Kaiārahi Employment, Trades & Training, Mana Takata
With a fire in her belly, she eventually ran a team in industrial recruitment before moving to generalist recruitment. In 2021, she met Paul and realised that her values closely aligned with that of Aukaha.
“I created a partnership between us (Aukaha and her former team) to bridge opportunities for those that did not have a clear path to employment and those that wanted to try a variety of work,” she says.
“It was extremely successful with a majority moving into full-time roles once they found their niche. “
When she heard Aukaha was searching for an Employment Navigator, she quickly put up her hand. Just six months later, and she is in the Team Leader role.
“With Paul leaving I am both sad and excited to be taking over the team leader position as I know how passionate Paul was about creating opportunities for those he worked with. While Paul is leaving Aukaha, we will continue to be collaborating on various projects for the betterment of our people.”
If you would like to get in touch with Andrea about employment, driver licensing or training opportunities, please contact mahi@aukaha.co.nz
Our Stories
Whare Ora – preparing for Makariri
Paving the way for others – Mana Takata
Decolonising our awa
Intergenerational connections etched on the walls of Tāhuna
