18-03-2019
“This is a great opportunity for NZ Post to help grow future corporate leaders in the Māori and Pasifika community,” says Jon Later, Head of Talent Management and Sourcing.
Through the TupuToa programme, all interns are provided with training and development to help prepare them for a corporate environment, a sustained support network to help them fulfil career aspirations, and they are taught to embrace their culture.
This year there’s 150 interns spread across organisations in Wellington, Auckland and Hamilton (last year there was only 74 so it’s doubled in a year). We were lucky enough to catch up with one of these interns, Sam-Maree who has been working with NZ Post in Marie Donald’s team in Wellington as part of HR since November.
Marie Donald says “Sam- Maree has been getting to grips with the administrative side of HR and will be moving into some HR Advisory work this year, she has been great getting us up to date with some of our admin processes that have taken a back seat while we have been busy.”
How did you hear about Tupu Toa?
I have six months left of Uni – I finish in June! I’m studying a Bachelor of Commerce in HR and Maori Resource Management and love getting experience where I can. It’s actually my second year as an intern. The first year I worked at MPI in the Sector Programme Partnerships team working mainly in the Māori space. I found it so valuable I knew I wanted to do it again so jumped at the chance to work at NZ Post.
What have you been working on in your internship?
During my time, here I’ve been working as an HR Administrator – this involves learning about all the different types of contracts then answering questions from employees and leaders. The questions mostly around changes to contracts e.g. extending a fixed term contract.
What’s been the most valuable part of working here?
I have gained a better understanding of HR. It really helps seeing things work – it’s more valuable as you learn things you don’t in Uni.
Can you share a highlight?
Just being part of the team. On my first day, my manager took me out to lunch and introduced me to all the team. It felt like an awesome way of being inducted into NZ Post – everyone makes you feel so welcome
Would you recommend the internship to someone else?
I definitely would recommend Tupu Toa to others. It more than just an internship – it’s a chance to network with likeminded students and corporate people. We have a big gala dinner at the end of our internships to celebrate our successes. They fly all interns up to Auckland and its held at the Langham! So that’s pretty exciting (here’s the highlights from last year’s dinnerOpens in a new window. .
I would also recommend NZ Post as a great place to work. To be honest I thought it was a dying organisation as all you hear about is post shop closures and mail decline but it’s so much more diverse! It’s an exciting place with lots going on!
I would love to be involved in more projects here and see how the other parts of the business work. I’ve loved my time here, I have a really supportive team and an encouraging Manager and I even got to meet her manager, and her manager’s manager!
We are pleased to say Sam-Maree is staying on to work part-time in between her studies.
Source: New Zealand Post