25 years of making a difference

---

This year, Workwise celebrates 25 years of creating work connections and supporting people to live great lives.

As we recognise this milestone, we think of the growth of a seed and how it has matured into a small tree to shelter all. It’s a moment to reflect on the growth since our inception and look forward to what lies ahead.

Kua tupu te kakano, ka puta he raakau hei tawharautia te katoa. (The seed has sprouted, and a tree has matured into a shelter for all.)

“2025 is a year to celebrate great outcomes for people, and 25 years of operation and making an impact,” says Tyron Pini, Chief Executive.

Starting in 2000 with one employment consultant working in the small North Island town of Thames, Workwise championed the IPS employment support approach – integrating employment support with mental health and addiction services.

That first employee was Warren Elwin, who went on to become chief executive, leading Workwise through many years of expansion and evolution. Warren stepped down earlier this year to take on a strategic project lead role within the Wise Group.

From those ground-breaking beginnings, Workwise now has more than 60 employment consultants integrated into over 50 mental health and addiction, youth, homeless and social service settings. Employment consultants can also be found working closely alongside LinkPeople, Pathways and The People’s Project.

With teams in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Whanganui and Wellington, Workwise is the largest provider of IPS employment support in Aotearoa New Zealand, supporting 2,500 people every year to fulfil their employment aspirations.

“It’s about seeing the growth of Workwise, seeing the impact we’ve made, seeing how we’ve been able to influence other parts of the Wise Group – but also realistically, it’s the thousands of people that we’ve helped into jobs, and that journey is something you can’t take for granted,” adds Tyron.