Education and skills open doors, and Deloitte is helping unlock those opportunities for thousands of young people across Aotearoa. Through our WorldClass commitment, we partner with schools, educators, and community organisations to help prepare rangatahi for the future of work.

FY25 was a year of action, innovation, and impact.

Our signature programme, Deloitte Grow, led the way. Together, we contributed 607 volunteer hours to help 1,016 young people develop entrepreneurial thinking through social innovation challenges.

Through Women+ in Cyber, we inspired 639 individuals, with their events covering online safety and careers in tech. Similarly, pathways for wāhine in tech were strengthened through TechWomen’s ShadowTech Day, which engaged a thousand girls and women through mentoring and sponsorship.

Beyond these programmes, we supported Ignite Consultants, empowering 50 students to apply business skills for social good and hosted the Young Enterprise Trust Entrepreneurs in Action weekend, impacting 48 potential future business leaders.

The SmartNZ Secondary School Employer Programme is a new initiative supported by our Tax and Business Advisory team in Wellington. For the next three years we will support by delivering workshops designed to encourage students to continue with maths into senior school, and hopefully into their future academic careers too.

These efforts are helping create confident learners, stronger communities, and future-ready skills. Looking ahead, we are excited to do more by strengthening our partnerships, with the intention to empower more young people across New Zealand.

During Techweek, we hosted our first Tech for Good Hackathon in collaboration with Hynds Foundation and our Alliance Partner, AWS. 

The half-day event brought together more than forty passionate rangatahi from seven high schools to consider how technology can be used to support people and the planet. 

Using AWS cloud software, the students were tasked with developing tech solutions to tackle real world environmental and social challenges in their communities. Representatives from AWS and Deloitte’s Technology and Transformation team coached the students through fast-paced design thinking activities using AWS AI platform PartyRock.

Through practical experience, the students learned how cloud technology and AI can be powerful tools for creating positive societal change. Students were also introduced to the AWS Cloud Quest software and encouraged to complete the gamified cloud skills course to continue their learning from the day and gain a digital badge.

The prize to the winning school, Ormiston Senior College, included a $2,500 combined contribution from Deloitte and Hynds Foundation to the school’s tech department, which will help enhance skills development for the technology students at the school.

The event demonstrated how by working alongside our Alliance and Community Partners we can amplify our impact and simultaneously deepen relationships. 

For more than 30 years, the Graeme Dingle Foundation has empowered tamariki and rangatahi across Aotearoa through a series of programmes designed to help young people overcome challenges, develop resilience and thrive.

Deloitte recently hosted an evening in support of the Graeme Dingle Foundation Wellington, featuring a keynote address from Hon Nicola Willis, Minister of Finance. The event brought together leaders from government, business, and community organisations to explore the role of social investment in creating a more equitable Aotearoa.

Sir Graeme Dingle opened the evening with reflections on the Foundation’s mission to support young people across the country. Deloitte’s Adithi Pandit followed with insights from our recent white paper, highlighting how data and evidence can guide investment toward initiatives that deliver measurable social and economic outcomes.

Minister Willis shared the government’s perspective on social investment, emphasising its potential to address entrenched inequities and improve long-term outcomes.

A panel discussion featuring Minister Willis, Sir Graeme Dingle, Dominic Bird, and Adithi Pandit focused on the practical applications of social investment and the importance of collaboration across sectors.

Hosted by David Downs, the event had an engaging atmosphere, and an auction during the event helped to raise funds for the charity’s Wellington-based programmes.

Through our involvement, Deloitte aims not only to support worthy charities but also to advance our social impact, towards a more equitable Aotearoa.

Art can speak where words fall short. Deloitte hosted The Art of Living Well exhibition in support of Dementia Auckland.

The event raised $52,000 for Dementia Auckland’s Living Well programme, which helps people with dementia stay socially connected through walking groups, art and singing sessions, and cognitive therapy. The programme relies on community support to continue its work.

Painter Kerry Switzer shared his private collection in tribute to his wife Rosie, who lived with dementia, turning personal grief into a public act of love. A curated selection of works from Aotearoa artists was available for sale, alongside a private collection of ornate glass feathers, incorporating toi Māori design elements to evoke memory and love.

The evening featured reflections from Dementia New Zealand leaders Marsha Marshall, Patrick Fogarty, and Jocelyn Weatherall, and brought together Deloitte clients, health leaders, and Kerry’s whānau in a shared moment of purpose. It was a reminder of what’s possible when community, creativity, and compassion come together.