Right next door. Ready for work.

A precinct-based workforce partner for Auckland Airport - right here, working alongside employers and the South Auckland community.

Ara turns proximity into possibility.

We connect South Auckland people with jobs across the Auckland Airport precinct, supporting people to prepare for work, settle into roles, and progress over time – at no cost to employers or jobseekers.

About us

What We Do

Ara means pathway. We connect South Auckland people with real opportunities across the Auckland Airport precinct – through pathways into work, recruitment support, and skills that help people stay and progress in their careers.

Pathways In

Programmes and career pathways that help rangatahi and local communities prepare for work across the Auckland Airport precinct.

Explore pathways

Pathways Into work

Free, end-to-end recruitment support connecting local people with precinct employers - from job matching and onboarding to in-work support.

Recruit local talent

Pathways Up

Skills, certifications, and progression support that help people build long-term careers and grow their capability over time.

View training and courses

Who we work with

Ara works alongside precinct employers, MSD, Auckland Airport, and the South Auckland community to connect local people with real opportunties. We make sure opportunity lands.

Rangatahi

Explore career pathways, build practical skills, and gain exposure to real opportunities across the Auckland Airport precinct.

Explore your pathways

Jobseekers

Connect with local employers across the Auckland Airport precinct and access practical support to prepare for work, settle into your role, and progress over time.

Support for jobseekers

Employers

Free end-to-end recruitment support for Auckland Airport precinct employers - from role scoping and candidate screening to onboarding and in-work support that helps placements stick.

Recruit local talent

Schools and Whanau

Working alongside schools and whānau to help rangatahi explore career pathways, build work readiness, and transition confidently into employment.

Understand our pathways

Partners and Supporters

Working with government, funders, employers, and community organisation to strengthen workforce pathways and deliver long-term outcomes for South Auckland communities.

Get involved

Our impact

Ara focuses on outcomes that matter:

Employers get the right match fast
Placements that stick
A visible local pipeline
Precinct and community partnerships that scale
Growth that gives something back

Every role filled through Ara contributes to stronger workforce outcomes and lasting community impact.

10 +

Years on precinct

125

Precinct employer partners

1440 +

People placed into employment

1700

Rangatahi supported into employment pathways

3600 +

Learners supported into training

A decade of connecting South Auckland talent with opportunity at Ara Auckland Airport

Celebrating 10 years of impact

The Multiplier Effect

Waste Management and Minimisation in New Zealand – how we can contribute towards sustainability

Working with the Auckland Airport precinct

Ara Auckland Airport Jobs & Skills Hub has spent over a decade connecting Auckland Airport employers with the community on their doorstep.

It began with Auckland Airport asking a simple question: what does it mean to be a good neighbour? They’ve led and funded the Hub from the start, and with support from the Ministry of Social Development, contribute financially, offer in-kind support, and help keep the vision alive as the team have built something genuinely new. Along the way, private philanthropists who share the belief that business and community flourish better together have added their weight to that commitment.

Auckland Airport

Auckland Airport is one of New Zealand’s largest and most diverse employment precincts – more like a city than an airport. Ara works alongside Auckland Airport to help connect local communities with opportunities across aviation, logistics, construction, retail, hospitality, and more.

Ministry of Development (MSD)

Ara works with MSD to connect jobseekers with employment opportunities across the Auckland Airport precinct, helping strengthen workforce participation, retention, and long-term employment outcomes.

Other Partners and Sponsors

Ara works with employers, training providers, schools, and community organisations to strengthen workforce pathways across the Auckland Airport precinct. These partnerships help ensure local people are connected to real opportunities, practical preparation, and long-term progression.

Partner with us

Right next door are thousands of opportunities across the Auckland Airport precinct. Ara helps connect local people, employers, and communities with pathways that lead somewhere.

Find a job View courses