Hinewairere Warren has her eyes set on the heights.
In 2014 she stepped straight out of school and into a role in the mayor’s office, where she worked as an administrator as part of Auckland Council’s Cadet Programme.
Now, the 18-year-old, who is also studying part time for a joint arts and commerce degree, has secured a permanent role as a programme coordinator at Te Waka Angamua, the council’s Māori strategy and relations department.
OurAuckland spoke with Hinewairere about her cadetship and her new role.
What does your work at Te Waka Angamua involve?
I help ensure the department is efficient on a programme level and that the information we provide is high quality, accurate and delivered on time.
What are some of the things you do on a typical day?
Setting up and reviewing project documentation, booking venues for meetings, contributing and taking minutes, as well as action tracking. The role also involves relationship management – introducing myself to people and gaining an understanding of what their role entails, and how it fits with my work and analyse how I can add value to them.
How did the Auckland Council Cadet programme help you find a position at Te Waka Angamua?
Through my journey in the Auckland Council Cadet programme I have been able to make connections with key people throughout the organisation. My mentor has been a key person in my journey and encouraged me to apply for the role in Te Waka Angamua. [I also made connections in] the Redeployment team who played a critical role in helping me prepare for the application and interview process. These connections were made possible through the cadet programme.
The role of Te Waka Angamua is to drive the council’s responsiveness to Māori and better enable it to contribute to Māori well-being. How does your work help contribute to this?
My transition coming from the Mayor’s Office into Te Waka Angamua has given me the ability to observe how people work together and what’s required to put the Treaty principles of partnership and protection into action.
By coordinating a number of projects that resonate with what I am passionate about I am able to contribute to driving outcomes for Māori in Auckland.
What advice would you offer to anyone interested in applying to be an Auckland Council cadet?
This is an opportunity that only comes once and there was no way I was going to miss it.
Even to this day I stand testament to a whakataukī (proverb) drilled into me throughout my upbringing and I believe it is so relevant to everyone, especially future cadets: ‘whāia te iti kahurangi ki te tūohu koe, me he maunga teitei’, which translates to ‘pursue excellence, should you stumble, let it be to a lofty mountain.’
I urge more youth to take on this challenge with an open, positive mind and a willingness to learn. Let the cadetship be a vessel for you to discover who you are and equip yourself for what might come in the near and far future.
