A New Zealand government-backed initiative is aiming to turn Pacific youth’s passion for gaming into high paying careers.
The four-year ‘Game On’ programme, led by the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, offering scholarships for Pacific youth to enter gaming and technology jobs, with starting salaries between $65,000 and $80,000.
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti said the initiative is designed to address skill shortages while opening doors for Pacific communities. It includes mentoring, internships, studio visits and school outreach programs to give Pacific students hands on experience in the industry.
It is backed by a $2 million investment, split evenly between government and industry partners. They are: The Cause Collective, Tupu Toa, PikPok and the New Zealand Game Developers Association.
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti said the gaming industry is hungry for Pacific flair.
Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro
Reti said the sector is growing quickly.
“You know this was $750m industry last year, and they’re projecting a billion this year. That’s a big industry.”
He said the scholarships are aimed at building career pathways in the rapidly expanding industry.
The sector is also hungry for Pacific flair, Reti added.
“The collaboration here is… $1 for $1 matching a million from my industry, a million from industry.
“So what industry gets is they get that Pacific flavour, because that’s what they say they’re missing. They’ve looked at Disney and Moana and said, ‘I want that. How do I do that in gaming?’ And so that’s what brings them to the table. They realise the untapped potential and the uniqueness that Pacifica can bring.”
In South Auckland, community led initiatives are already preparing young people for these opportunities.
Muliagatele Danny Leaoasavai’i, known as ‘Brother D’ leads the South Auckland Creative and Tech Hub, which he said tackled a stark underrepresentation of Pacific people in the sector.
“Pasifika only represents 4.4 percent of people in technology. So to me, that’s really, really poor.
“So we had to look at how can we create awareness but also socialise? What that looks like for our community. So this gave it gave birth to our mobile hub.”
The hub travels across South Auckland schools, offering hands on exposure to digital tools, gaming development and creative technologies.
Leaoasavai’i said the programme also addresses systematic gaps in the education system.
“I hate to say sometimes schools don’t prepare Pasifika young people the best. So that’s where we come in, you know, we’re here to try and bridge that gap between where they’re at school and where industry is and where where jobs are in the future.”
He said it is about ensuring Pacific youth are not left behind.
The first Game On cohort is set to begin in July this year.
