Partner with us – Pātui mai

Work with us to inspire young people about career possibilities. Together we can:

  • help young people realise their potential
  • encourage the next generation into your industry
  • demonstrate corporate social responsibility and commitment to your community.

Get involved – here’s why

Inspiring the Future can help you meet your goals, whether that’s supporting young people to engage in education or employment, future-proofing your industry workforce, enhancing your corporate social responsibility, or something else.

Role models at a table speaking to learners at an Inspiring the Future event


Your employees volunteering for just one hour a year can get young people interested in your industry

Our research shows that young people have narrow career aspirations, tainted by unconscious bias around gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status.

Research

Inspiring the Future can broaden their horizons, and help challenge stereotypes that can limit their potential, by bridging the gap between young people and the world of work.

There is no cost to be involved.

How to get involved

There are lots of ways we can work together. We will work with you to make the most impact from the available resources.

For example:

  • Encourage people in your industry, your members or your employees to sign up to be role models.
  • Partner with a school to run a bespoke event/series of events for their students.
  • Host an Inspiring the Future event at your annual industry conference.
  • Organise events for groups of young people not in education, employment or training.
  • Support local schools to run their own events.
  • Make Inspiring the Future an option for your corporate volunteer day.
  • Host online events that multiple smaller schools can join.

To get started, email inspiringthefuture@tec.govt.nz.

Boy and dog

Inspiring food and fibre futures in schools

Over 700 urban students explored food and fibre careers through on-farm Inspiring the Future sessions, demos and tours – thanks to a collaboration between Donald’s Farm, NZ Young Farmers, Ministry for Primary Industries and the Tertiary Education Commission.

Arborist Chelsea Robertson said, “We’ve actively promoted arboriculture as a possible career path. Pathways were opened up.”

Astronomer

Aerospace New Zealand

The Tertiary Education Commission partnered with Aerospace New Zealand and ChristchurchNZ  to run Inspiring the Future sessions during the Aerospace Summit and Smart Christchurch Innovation Expo, highlighting aerospace and innovation careers to over 160 students.

Through talks from role models – including a NASA mission director and a Rocket Lab expert – and hands-on workshops, the initiative sparked students’ interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) and inspired future engineers, scientists and innovators.

Discussion at table

Mayors Taskforce for Jobs and local councils

Collaborations with the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs and local councils have sparked Inspiring the Future events across Aotearoa, including in the Far North and Hurunui.

  • In the Far North, the Tertiary Education Commission, Mayors Taskforce for Jobs and Far North District Council brought together two local kura kaupapa Māori for career sessions in te reo Māori. Mayor Moko Tepania helped rangatahi see how their skills aligned with those of the role models, in a space celebrating te reo and tikanga Māori.
  • In Hurunui, a partnership between the council, Mayors Taskforce for Jobs and a local school connected 80 students with eight local role models – from a detective to a boat welder. Through hands-on activities and open conversations, students explored local career options and reflected on their future pathways.