Kiwi Can Do
Kiwi Can Do is a New Zealand not-for-profit outcomes provider, founded in 2014, that delivers free hands-on construction trade training and job placement services to Work and Income job seekers across the North Island, funded by the Ministry of Social Development.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersŌtaki, New Zealand
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Kiwi Can Do does
Kiwi Can Do Ltd. is a New Zealand not-for-profit outcomes provider founded in 2014 and headquartered in Ōtaki, operating across the North Island with five physical training hubs (Ōtaki, Wellington/Lower Hutt, Taumarunui, Palmerston North) and reach into Auckland, Taranaki, Central, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Kāpiti-Horowhenua, and the Chatham Islands. The organisation delivers free, hands-on construction trade training and employment placement services to Work and Income job seekers, covering Construction Trade Courses (Building, Painting, Plastering, Scaffolding) and Construction Labourer Courses (Wheels/Tracks/Rollers, Forklift, Traffic Control), supplemented by Truck Licences, Fast Track, Accelerated, and Work Ready Entry Level programmes, plus a Free Licence Upgrade Programme targeting the Ōtaki to Levin expressway.
Its core delivery model is the 'Dad's Army' mentorship programme, which pairs trainees with retired tradies for hands-on instruction using a proprietary 'learning by being shown and then doing' methodology, supported by six months of in-work post-placement follow-up. The technology stack is non-proprietary: services are coordinated through a website-based Jobs Board, a CV Pool email distribution to employers, and direct phone/email intake rather than through automated matching systems.
The business model is fully government-funded: Kiwi Can Do is paid by the Ministry of Social Development's Industry Partnerships division in support of the Construction Sector Accord, with no fees charged to either job seekers or employers. Recruitment flows through MSD case managers and iwi/community organisations, while placement flows through a network of trusted trade employers (Higgins, Fulton Hogan, Goodmans, Nova Traffic Management, March Cato, Eagle Recruitment) and industry body endorsements (Master Painters, AWCI, BCITO). Managed by a 16-person team led by Managing Director Iain Morrison and Chairwoman Dame Fran Wilde, Kiwi Can Do addresses the 33,000-worker construction labour shortage in New Zealand by converting benefit recipients into placed construction workers, typically reporting near-100% pass rates on truck licensing.
Kiwi Can Do firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kiwi Can Do
- Legal name
- Kiwi Can Do Ltd.
- Website
- https://kiwi-can-do.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Kiwi Can Do is a New Zealand not-for-profit outcomes provider, founded in 2014, that delivers free hands-on construction trade training and job placement services to Work and Income job seekers across the North Island, funded by the Ministry of Social Development.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kiwi Can Do industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Vocational Training and Employment Services
- NAICS
- Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519), Apprenticeship Training (611513)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Workforce Development, Employment Readiness & Job Placement (BPADAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Skilled Trades (Electricians/Plumbers/HVAC/Carpenters) Staffing (BPACAEAB), Driver & Technician Training, Certification & Workforce Management (THAIANAJ)
Keywords
Where Kiwi Can Do is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ōtaki
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices5 records
Markets served
Kiwi Can Do business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Government Funding (MSD): Funded by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) Industry Partnerships division in support of the Construction Sector Accord. There are no fees or costs to employers or trainees for the Kiwi Can Do service.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free training for Work and Income job seekers |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Kiwi Can Do product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kiwi Can Do provides free construction trade training, industry certifications, and employment placement services to Work and Income job seekers across New Zealand's North Island. Training covers building, painting, plastering, scaffolding, and construction labourer skills (Wheels/Tracks/Rollers, Forklift, Traffic Control), along with driver licence upgrades and truck licence programmes. Job seekers are placed with vetted trade employers and supported for six months post-employment.
Product overview
Kiwi Can Do is a vocational training and employment outcomes provider offering a unified service model that combines job seeker recruitment, skills training, and employer placement. The core portfolio consists of Construction Trade Courses and Construction Labourer Courses, supported by four programme modules: Fast Track (for experienced workers), Accelerated (for career changers), Truck Licences (for driving careers), and Work Ready Entry Level (for first-time job seekers). A standout feature is the Dad's Army Mentorship Programme, which pairs trainees with retired tradies for hands-on learning. The service also includes a Free Licence Upgrade Programme targeting O2NL infrastructure jobs, an In-Work Support Programme for six-month post-placement retention, a Jobs Board, CV Pool, and Employer Registration platform. All services are free to both job seekers and employers, funded through the Ministry of Social Development's Industry Partnerships division.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Construction Trade Courses
Companies that use Kiwi Can Do
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Kiwi Can Do technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Kiwi Can Do partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Te Rūnanga o Ngā Wairiki Ngāti ApacoreOfficial Memorandum of Understanding established. Kiwi Can Do has been running training courses at Te Poho o Tuariki (former Turakina Māori Girls College) since 2021. Partnership enables collaboration to grow, engage and train iwi learners and the wider community, with shared vision of sustainable employment outcomes.
- CountdownminorKiwi Can Do opened recruitment channels to help keep Countdown's supply chains running during the Omicron outbreak. Sourcing hundreds of workers for distribution centres in Wiri Auckland, Palmerston North, Christchurch, eStores, and retail stores nationwide.
- Master Painters AssociationcoreEndorsed by Master Painters board. Kiwi Can Do developed at a Master Painters conference 8 years ago. Partnership includes live training site arrangements and curriculum development for painting micro-qualification through BCITO. Paul Hallahan (Master Painters CE) has first-hand knowledge of on-boarding trainees.
- Association of Wall and Ceiling Industries (AWCI)coreEndorsed by AWCI board. Partnership supports training in gib fixing and stopping trades alongside other construction disciplines.
- Building Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO)coreEndorsed by BCITO board. Kiwi Can Do encourages and supports trainees wanting to gain formal qualifications through BCITO or other tertiary training. Working with BCITO on painting micro-qualification development.
- Scaffolding, Access & Rigging NZ (SARNZ)minorKiwi Can Do is a member of SARNZ, supporting scaffolding training components and industry connections.
- PrefabNZminorKiwi Can Do is a member of PrefabNZ, indicating alignment with prefabrication training trends in construction.
- Insulation Association of NZminorKiwi Can Do is a member of the Insulation Association of NZ, supporting comprehensive construction training.
- Ngā Hapū o ŌtakicoreCo-designed the free driver licence upgrade programme for O2NL jobs. Partnership ensures local iwi input and community support for the 'local jobs for local people' campaign across Kāpiti-Horowhenua.
- VTNZminorKiwi Can Do partnered with VTNZ and MSD to deliver mainland driver training programme for Chatham Island residents, reducing cost barriers and providing job security.
- Eagle Recruitment & ContractingcoreEagle is both a recruiter and employer providing permanent employment contracts to Kiwi Can Do graduates. They place graduates with clients like Higgins and are a vital source of quality referrals. Relationship described as 'of primary importance' to Kiwi Can Do.
- Pro IndustriescoreLocal company that signed an MoU with Kiwi Can Do to provide live on-site training for two weeks. CEO Jason Kennerly believes in the Kiwi Can Do kaupapa and provides work experience opportunities for trainees.
- Construction Sector AccordcoreKiwi Can Do is funded in support of the Construction Sector Accord, a combined government and industry effort to create a high-performance construction sector to lead New Zealand's economic recovery.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kiwi Can Do competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Workbridge: New Zealand employment services provider supporting people into work, including in trades and construction. Comparable to Kiwi Can Do in employment outcomes mission and MSD-aligned referral pathways, though specialising in disability and broader inclusion cohorts.
- Skills (formerly Skillwise / Skills Update): New Zealand employment and training services provider focused on placing job seekers into sustainable employment across multiple sectors. Comparable to Kiwi Can Do in beneficiary target segment and outcomes-driven model, but with broader sector coverage beyond construction.
Broad incumbents
- Adecco New Zealand: Global staffing firm with a substantial New Zealand presence across construction, trades, and infrastructure. Comparable to Kiwi Can Do as a broader incumbent supplying entry-level and skilled trades labour to the same NZ employer base, but operating commercially at national scale.
- Connexis (Waihenga): New Zealand Industry Training Organisation covering infrastructure, civil, and related trades. Comparable to Kiwi Can Do as a broader sector training incumbent, with overlapping candidate pathways into the same civil construction employers (Higgins, Fulton Hogan, Fletchers).
- BCITO (Waihanga Industry Transformation Plan): New Zealand's construction Industry Training Organisation responsible for formal apprenticeship qualifications that KCD graduates progress into. Functions as a broader incumbent in construction trade education, providing the credentialing framework Kiwi Can Do's trainees are channelled toward.
- Hays New Zealand: International recruitment specialist with a dedicated New Zealand construction and property division. Overlaps with Kiwi Can Do in placing workers into civil and commercial construction employers, though operating via commercial fees rather than welfare-to-work outcomes contracts.
Direct peers
- Vertical Horizonz New Zealand: New Zealand-based trade training and employment outcomes provider focused on placing job seekers into construction and infrastructure careers. Directly comparable to Kiwi Can Do in target beneficiary segment (welfare-to-work), training pedagogy (hands-on trade skills), and funding model (government outcomes contracts).
- AWF New Zealand: New Zealand staffing and recruitment agency with a strong construction, civil, and trades vertical. Comparable to Kiwi Can Do in target employer base (civil contractors, infrastructure projects) and worker pool, though operating via commercial fee-based placement rather than MSD-funded outcomes.
Others
- Trade Me Jobs: New Zealand's dominant online job marketplace, used by Kiwi Can Do's employer partners (Higgins, Fulton Hogan, Goodmans) for trades and civil construction vacancies. Functions as an indirect distribution and labour-market infrastructure layer that complements rather than competes with KCD's placement model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kiwi Can Do social profiles
Digital presenceKiwi Can Do financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kiwi Can Do leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Kiwi Can Do funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kiwi Can Do M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kiwi Can Do
What does Kiwi Can Do do?
Kiwi Can Do provides free construction trade training, industry certifications, and employment placement services to Work and Income job seekers across New Zealand's North Island. Training covers building, painting, plastering, scaffolding, and construction labourer skills (Wheels/Tracks/Rollers, Forklift, Traffic Control), along with driver licence upgrades and truck licence programmes. Job seekers are placed with vetted trade employers and supported for six months post-employment.
Is Kiwi Can Do a public or private company?
Kiwi Can Do is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Kiwi Can Do founded?
Kiwi Can Do was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Kiwi Can Do based?
Kiwi Can Do is headquartered in Ōtaki, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Kiwi Can Do make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Funding (MSD).
Who are Kiwi Can Do's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Workbridge and Skills (formerly Skillwise / Skills Update). Broad incumbents are Adecco New Zealand, Connexis (Waihenga), BCITO (Waihanga Industry Transformation Plan) and Hays New Zealand. Direct peers are Vertical Horizonz New Zealand and AWF New Zealand. Trade Me Jobs is listed as an others.
Does Kiwi Can Do have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kiwi Can Do.
What industry is Kiwi Can Do in?
Kiwi Can Do's product category is Vocational Training and Employment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAKAE, Workforce Development, Employment Readiness & Job Placement, with a secondary code of BPACAEAB, Skilled Trades (Electricians/Plumbers/HVAC/Carpenters) Staffing. Its NAICS code is 6115 and its SIC code is 7361.