Te Uru Kahikatea: Public Health Workforce Development Plan

Te Uru Kahikatea: Public Health Workforce Development Plan 2007-2016 (TUK) is the national strategy that guides public health workforce development in Aotearoa, New Zealand. TUK emphasises a range of actions required to meet priorities and adopts a future focus that aims to equip the public health workforce to face future challenges.

Te Uru Kahikatea tree symbolises the strength, unity and power of an integrated public health workforce development approach which is built on a sustaining foundation. Each Te Uru Kahikatea tree stands tall and majestic in its own right and it also exists as part of a grove of kahikatea. 

While retaining a strong public health workforce focus, TUK aims to support public health job training and development for the whole workforce, particularly the primary and community workforces.

Māori public health workforce development is a priority of TUK. One of the overarching priorities of TUK is to improve Māori health and address the health disparities between Māori and non-Māori. These goals and priorities are in the Te Uru Kahikatea Māori Workplan 2011 – 2017 (PDF, 1.1 MB).

Inequalities in the distribution of, and access to, material resources - income, education, employment and housing - are the primary causes of Māori health inequalities.  Māori have poorer health status than non-Māori.  To address these health inequalities, the public health workforce must be responsive to the needs of Māori in our communities, particularly the public health needs of Māori.  Using culturally appropriate and proven health promotion and health protection strategies will assist.

The Māori public health workforce must be grown and strengthened and the non-Māori workforce must equip themselves to be more responsive to Māori health need.

Taeao o Tautai: the Pacific Public Health Workforce Development Plan 2012-2017 developed from the TUK which "Strengthening the Pacific public health workforce and the capability of the non-Pacific workforce to improve Pacific health and reduce inequalities.”

Taeao o Tautai was developed in collaboration, contributions and guidance from the Pacific public health sector.  The Samoan name Taeao o Tautai refers to the "morning for the fisherman" – an appointed time of stewardship and leadership as they navigate the seas for village sustenance.  This plan helps chart and guide the workforce who are tautai or navigators of a new day dawning.

The four priorities to action in Taeao o Tautai are: upskilling and retention; strengthening Pacific leadership; supporting effective practice; and cultural competency.

LeVa is charged by the Ministry of Health with implementing actions in Taeao o Tautai.

An electronic version of Te Uru Kahikatea 2017 - 2026 is currently being developed that meets community and Ministry of Health expectations for an accessible database with up-to-date information about the New Zealand public health workforce. This work is being led by a Public Health Workforce Development Plan Sector Reference Group, a Māori Working Group, a Pacific providers’ and community consultation and regional areas’ focus groups.

Te Uru Kahikatea 2017 - 2026 is expected to link the actions of TUK to data provided by users. Up-to-date data will be analysed and approved before being displayed within the eVersion in pictorial forms. Useful and current data or health sector intelligence will be made available to health sector and others.

This section will be updated as information becomes available.