MATES in Construction partnership extended

The new agreement is a recognition of the commitment by Kāinga Ora to improve mental wellness in the construction industry and the significant support for MATES by our build partners and sub-contractors. The agreement will also see the MATES programme expanded to include our Construction Consultancy Partners when the Kāinga Ora supplier panels are confirmed later this year.

Since launching the partnership two years ago, the MATES team have delivered 129 training sessions with our build partners and engaged over 1,900 workers, and we are now at the point where sites are becoming MATES Accredited - which is a priority for Kāinga Ora. Over the next two years, MATES will be focused on supporting build partners with Connector and ASIST training to enable more sites to achieve accreditation.

The programme will also benefit from greater regional reach, with MATES in Construction hiring staff in Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. MATES new Kāinga Ora field officers, Lance and Kelvery, will be connecting with our regional partners with opportunities to learn about the programme and participate in General Awareness Training – a foundation of the MATES programme.

Victoria McArthur, CEO at MATES in Construction, says, “The relationship we have built with Kāinga Ora is one we are immensely proud of. Kāinga Ora are pioneers in this space as a crown agency that have taken leadership to the next level. By partnering with MATES, Kāinga Ora is ensuring that building social housing positively impacts not only the communities that will be housed, but also those that are part of the build process. I am looking forward to continuing this partnership to ensure we tackle the stigma around mental health and wellbeing. Together, we will turn the tide on the high number that we lose to suicide every year.”