We've provided over 53,000 hours of employment since 2017.
We create careers
Nisa was founded to create employment opportunities for women from refugee and migrant backgrounds
Since being founded in 2017, Nisa has employed 31 women on their journey towards a bright career in Aotearoa.
A year after arriving in Aotearoa, less than a fifth of people from refugee and migrant backgrounds are employed. After three years, only a quarter of women from refugee backgrounds find employment.* Lack of employment is an obstacle to feeling truly valued and integrated into a community.
We support the living wage
All of our permanent staff are paid, at minimum, the current living wage for their work. The living wage is hourly wage a worker needs be paid to afford the necessities of life and to participate as an active citizen in the community.
18 cultures represented
Nisa has been home to people from over 18 nations across the world, and counting. The worskshop is a place to share an d experience different cultures, in the centre of Aoteroa's capital city.
Development opportunities
We regularly host development sessions at the workshop covering essential education topics, like CV writing and financial management. Many members of the Nisa team work part time while engaging in further education.
We've paid out over $1.7 million in wages since Nisa was founded.
We make an impact
In June 2022 we received a GoodMeasure report from ImpactLab so we could quantify the effect Nisa provides to its employees. The report calculates social value: how much it would cost for members of the team to receive the additional improvements to their wellbeing that they get while working at Nisa.**
$21,486
of social value created for each nisa employee
$3
of social value created for every $1 invested into Nisa
$429,369
of social value created for Nisa's employees since 2019
Meet senior machinist Olivia
"I’m very happy to have a job here - I’ve been sewing for 15 years, so I can use my skills. I always wanted to work because I want to improve my skills, and it’s great helping the Nisa business grow."
* New Zealand Refugee Status Dashboard; '3 years on: English and Employment Outcomes for Former Refugees'
** Nisa GoodMeasure Report, ImpactLab, June 2022.