Our Whakapiki Ake Pipeline Approach

The Whakapiki Ake pipeline model is designed to ignite the interest of rangatahi in health careers starting from Year 9. It provides continuous support throughout their school years, ensuring those aspiring to become health professionals have genuine opportunities to achieve their goals. This initiative is closely aligned with current government strategies and action plans for Māori health, Māori health workforce development, and Māori tertiary education.

The Whakapiki Ake pipeline offers a range of support for students leading up to their graduation day. This model provides a range of interventions to help rangatahi discover, explore, and pursue health career pathways. These interventions aim to foster connectedness and well-being through whanaungatanga, strengthening relationships with whānau and building supportive, sustainable connections with peers and student cohorts. These cohort relationships encourage collective determination, perseverance, and the courage to progress together.

The programme also focuses on raising awareness and understanding of different forms of racism, while developing strategies to build resilience. As an evidence-based programme, Whakapiki Ake effectively addresses systemic inequities in tertiary education and the health workforce. It actively engages, awakens, and excites rangatahi through carefully crafted interventions, supporting their journey towards successful health careers.