Nurturing Pacific Talent. How Internships Boost Connections, Build Skills and Empower.

Photo credit: Ministry for Pacific Peoples

Each summer, we place emerging Pacific scholars in meaningful internships across Aotearoa. These placements are more than work experience — they are bridges between theory and practice, between cultures and communities, and between New Zealand’s aspirations for the Pacific and the lived realities of young leaders who will shape the region’s future.

As part of the 2025–26 cohort, scholars completed their internships across government and industry. Their journeys reflect not only personal transformation, but also the wider value that internships bring to organisations seeking fresh thinking, cultural intelligence, and new ways of approaching shared challenges.

One of these scholars, Jessica Magala, a Papua New Guinean education student at Victoria University of Wellington, spent her summer with the Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP). Her experience offers a compelling window into why internships matter — not just for students, but for Aotearoa’s long-term social and economic relationships with the Pacific.

A Transformative Experience in the Heart of Government

Jessica describes her internship in one word: transformative.

Placed within MPP’s Operations team, she worked on a ministerial project exploring how Pacific education providers could engage with micro credentials — a growing area of innovation in tertiary learning. She researched, drafted memos, liaised with directors, and contributed to policy conversations that directly influence Pacific communities.

She also brought her culture into the workplace, sharing her billum weaving with international visitors from the World Crafts Council — a moment that connected Pacific heritage, creativity, and diplomacy in a uniquely authentic way.

For Jessica, the experience was more than just technical skill-building. It was a shift in confidence and belonging:

“I feel like I can now navigate a government space back home. I understand the work behind policy, the collaboration, the expectations. I feel ready.”

Her story reflects what we see across the cohort: scholars forming deep relationships with colleagues, gaining a richer understanding of Aotearoa’s people and institutions, and developing a sense of affinity that endures long after the internship ends.

Why Internships Matter — An Academic and Strategic Lens

Across Aotearoa, securing internships is becoming increasingly difficult. Organisations face increasing pressure to deliver, often leaving little time for mentoring or structured development. Yet research consistently shows that internships generate reciprocal value—especially in fields where cultural understanding, innovation, and human-centred problem-solving are essential.

From an academic perspective, internships:

• Translate theory into practice, deepening learning and accelerating professional readiness.

• Strengthen relational capability, a core Pacific leadership value and a critical skill in modern workplaces.

• Expose organisations to diverse worldviews, improving cultural intelligence and decision making.

• Foster innovation, as interns bring fresh perspectives unbounded by organisational habits.

• Build long-term networks, which become the foundation for future collaboration across borders.

These outcomes echo what New Zealanders told us in the 2025 Perceptions Report: that Aotearoa must deepen its engagement in economic development, education, and health, and that the connection gap between New Zealand and the Pacific must be closed through people, not just policy.

Internships sit at the heart of this. They create the conditions for genuine understanding, shared purpose, and long-term partnership — the very ingredients required for a stable and prosperous Pacific region.

The Often Overlooked Value for Host Organisations

While organisations may hesitate to host interns due to time or resource constraints, the experience of agencies like the Ministry for Pacific People demonstrates the opposite: interns often become catalysts for learning and connection.

Jessica’s presence brought:

• Cultural depth — sharing PNG traditions and perspectives.

• Fresh thinking — approaching micro credential research with curiosity and rigour.

• Human connection — contributing to team wellbeing and Pacific centred workplace culture.

Interns remind teams of the purpose behind their work. They bring energy, openness, and a willingness to learn — qualities that can reinvigorate even the busiest environments.

And for New Zealand, these experiences quietly strengthen regional relationships. Every scholar who feels welcomed, understood, and supported here carries that experience back home, shaping future cooperation in ways that no policy document alone can achieve.

Aotearoa’s Future Depends on These Connections

As Jessica prepares to return to Papua New Guinea to complete her studies and fulfil her service bond, she carries with her not only new skills but a strengthened sense of identity, confidence, and connection to Aotearoa.

Her journey — and those of her fellow interns — demonstrates why PCF continues to champion internship pathways. They are investments in people, in relationships, and in the shared future of Aotearoa and the Pacific.

In a world where connection is currency, internships are one of the most powerful ways to build it.

Banker D, Borchardt J (2025;), "Students’ perspectives on an internship experience". Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIT-07-2024-0198