Recently I spent time at the Advancing Manufacturing Aotearoa stand at the Wellington Tahatū Careers Expo, the seventh of its kind. Alongside the interactive displays and industry reps, students were getting hands-on with the robotics, digital design and advanced materials that shape modern manufacturing careers.
What struck me most was their curiosity and ambition for the future. For a lot of young New Zealanders, manufacturing isn't yet on their radar as a career, and that's a problem worth fixing. When manufacturing grows, the whole economy benefits, and right now this sector is leading from the front. The numbers back that up. Manufacturing was the single biggest driver of economic growth in the March quarter, and that tells you just how much this sector matters to New Zealand. It's where ideas become products, where technology meets creativity, and where skilled people design, engineer and build solutions we sell to the world. As AMA's Future Makers campaign shows, today's sector is defined by innovation and advanced engineering, not the outdated stereotypes of the past.
Our manufacturers are already producing world-class products, adopting new technology and creating highly skilled jobs across the country. The challenge is making sure the next generation can see themselves in those opportunities, because a skilled workforce is what keeps this growth going.
That's why the Government is backing the pipeline of young people entering trades and technical careers. Through Budget 2026 we're continuing to invest in initiatives like Youth Guarantee, which helps young people gain practical, work-ready skills, and Trades Academies, which give secondary students hands-on experience in industry-relevant environments. We're also expanding industry-aligned subjects in schools, so students can see earlier how their education connects to a real career.
Building a thriving manufacturing workforce needs industry, employers, educators and communities working together to inspire young people and create real opportunities to learn, train and succeed. That's why initiatives like Future Makers matter so much. By showcasing real career stories, profiles of young machinists and technicians in manufacturing roles across New Zealand, it helps young Kiwis understand the breadth of careers on offer and the impact they can have. If you haven't seen the videos, they're on AMA's website - here
This week marks another step forward with the launch of the Future Makers Career Platform, bringing career pathways, employer profiles, opportunities, resources and real-world stories into a single place. It will help students not just discover manufacturing but find where they fit within it. It's a foundation that can grow alongside the sector, connecting future talent with employers and giving industry better insight into how young people are engaging with these careers.
Other initiatives like Earn as You Learn, the Manufacturing Passport, industry tours and career showcases are helping more young people discover what's on offer, usually through partnerships between industry, education providers and sector bodies. I'd encourage businesses to connect with organisations like AMA, the Manufacturing and Engineering Industry Skills Board, or the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to explore how they can get involved. We're also backing manufacturers to invest and grow, and that's what Investment Boost is designed to do, letting businesses deduct a chunk of new capital investment upfront so they can buy the machinery and equipment that lifts productivity. Invest in the equipment, invest in the people who run it, and you get a sector that keeps powering the wider economy.
If New Zealand is going to lift its productivity, grow its exports and strengthen its economy, we need skilled people entering the industries that create value. Manufacturing is one of those industries, and getting more young people into it is one of the smartest investments we can make. This is all part of the Government's plan to fix the basics and build the future, with a sector that's leading New Zealand's recovery. I'm proud to stand behind our manufacturers as their Minister, and prouder still to back the future makers who'll carry this sector forward.
