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Toi Ora

Sport, recreation and cultural organisations

Activities and places that foster the social, physical and mental wellbeing of the people of Aotearoa. This includes sport and recreation organisations, as well as cultural organisations that welcome visitors and share or conserve our natural environment and culture (parks, zoos, galleries, libraries, archives and museums). Toi Ora is the sector that provides places and facilities for New Zealanders and visitors to engage with activities for relaxation, education, research, conservation, wellbeing and human connection. Of all the Toi Mai sectors, this has the greatest regional presence.

He rangi whawhati kō, he tau hāwere workforce development plan

He rangi whawhati kō, he tau hāwere is the first workforce development plan (WDP) we have developed for Toi Ora. This WDP focuses specifically on the exercise industry and is the result of interviews with 17 industry leaders and further engagements with 80-plus industry people, supported by sector analytics and data. The engagements and understandings developed during this process inform the recommendations to initiate the changes needed to ensure a thriving workforce and productive exercise industry.

The exercise industry includes large private commercial (chain), large public commercial (councils), franchise, one-off private commercial, and community groups and initiatives. The industry struggles with poor staff retention and high turnover, especially in the personal training space, stifling workforce development.

The WDP contains three recommendations for industry and other organisations as well as four actions for Toi Mai to tackle these challenges and work towards a thriving exercise industry by 2035.

Toi Mai would like to acknowledge and thank those who shared their invaluable feedback on the WDP. Further updates (including the final recommendations and actions) will be shared in due course.

Contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions.

The interview, data analysis, writing and documentation of this workforce development plan has been completed by the Toi Ora team at Toi Mai, all of whom would like to acknowledge the exceptional support of Simon Holbrook, Anton Matthews and Kashmir Kaur.

We are also extremely grateful to the industry leaders, educators, learners and practitioners who gifted their time, feedback and whakaaro participating in the in-depth interviews that form the backbone of this workforce development plan. Their aroha for the future of the exercise industry and the people of Aotearoa that it serves came shining through.

Toi Mai would also like to acknowledge the time and contribution of the following people:

Contributors

Richard Beddie, Exercise New Zealand

Venessa Blakely, BBM

Ish Cheyne, Les Mills New Zealand

Laura Dyson, Personal Trainer Contractor and Industry Educator

Mandi Hirini, Former Exercise Tutor and Personal Training Manager

Matthew Howard, Christchurch City Council

Aaron Kerehoma, Freelance Exercise Coach and Youth Development

Jesse Laughton, Former Exercise Tutor and Personal Training Manager

Mark Leau, Kingdom Fitness

Dave Letele, BBM

Kelly MacDonald, Personal Trainer Contractor

Nick Makea, Te Mahi Ako

John Manu, Xtreme Hip Hop

Laurent Pang, Oni Studio

Steve Rickard, BodyShot Fitness

Gerry Salmon, Industry Consultant

Mid Thomas-Savelio, BeSuite Studio

Ben Tuimanufili, City Fitness

Kris Tynan, Exercise as Medicine

Mateo Viahu, Tranzformation4U

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