Proud son, husband, and father Sainila has worked his way through trades training and qualification to become a business owner in just seven years. He proves our people can not only lead in the trades but also shape the industry itself.
Sainila Tagi is Tongan and grew up in South Auckland. His parents are from Niutoua in Tongatapu and Leimatu’a in Vava’u. Today, he runs Compass Electrics, working on everything from high-end villa renovations to commercial wiring. Sainila loves being his own boss and the benefits it brings to his family. But he acknowledges the journey was demanding; MPTT’s support made all the difference.
Commit with your goals in mind
“The MPTT scholarship was a big help for me. I didn’t have $3,000 sitting around waiting for me to finish some education,” Sainila explains.
The programme’s strength lies not just in financial accessibility, but in cultural connection. You’re supported by people who understand and share your values. That makes a huge difference.
“It wasn’t easy, especially because I didn’t really enjoy maths,“ Sainila admits. “There was a lot of adding and multiplying that I had to learn to be better at; I had to stick at it.”
Qualifications lead to more
Sainila completed his apprenticeship to become a qualified electrician. But he wasn’t content to stop there. While contracting in 2023, realisation struck.
“I was working one day, and I saw that as I was contracting to this company, I was basically working for myself. And that’s when I thought, ‘You know what, maybe it’s time I just dive into the deep end, give this business thing a go.’”
As a contractor, tradespeople need to do a certain amount of paperwork and bookkeeping to manage tax. However, there’s still a steep learning curve to running your own business. You need to understand everything from insurance to financial reports, contracts and more. But being responsible for all that also means you reap all the rewards yourself.
Sainila has been deliberate in his strategy of growing his business.
“For almost a year, I kept working another job doing a lot of work after-hours. Then I could see that I’d have enough to quit that and take me through a month while I tried to sort out more work.
“I had to start networking and talking to people. I was able to get another few jobs that kept me going for a month and a half. I kept trying to connect with people that could potentially help me and push out more work. I’ve been very fortunate to cross paths with people that were able to point me to other people. And that led to more work. I’ve kept with jobs I can manage myself. And it’s become steady.”
Sainila says thinking about the future he wanted for his family kept him going. “The biggest challenge during my apprenticeship would have been the night classes. It meant being at work all day and then having to go to one night class a week. I missed that time with my daughter. But you’ve got to stick with it. I told myself, ‘We’re just going to get it done.’”
Today, the sacrifice has paid off; he’s the one in charge of his time and his work.
Opportunities abound for Māori and Pasifika
Growing up, he watched his father run a successful stonemasonry business, which always inspired him. His own business ambitions were further sparked during his pre-trades learning.
“The goal was planted while I was at Unitec,” he explains. “I remember one of the classes when we were going through some numbers with Phil, the tutor. It was obvious; it’s one thing to be qualified. It’s another thing to be your own boss.”
Sainila knew that reaching his goal would mean putting in the work along the way. After completing his pre-trades certificate in 2017, the next step was to begin an apprenticeship and become qualified. His MPTT navigator helped him secure a role within days. “I was just grateful, because I knew how hard it was to find a job.”
“When you go into an interview, you need to be ready; you obviously want to prepare. I think they also saw how keen I was,” he says.
But enthusiasm alone isn’t enough. “What helped was having the pre-trade as a background of experience. With pre-trades, you’re not going into it as fresh, and you’ve proven that you could stick at something too.”
Sainila encourages other Pasifika and Māori to aim high and make the most of the support available. “I would tell them to look for these opportunities, look for these scholarships, because they’re there. We just don’t know about them.” In his view, Māori and Pasifika are a huge untapped resource for the trades sector. And they have a lot to gain.
He advises potential trades trainees to persevere. “You’ve just got to put yourself out there and keep working at it, even if it doesn’t feel like you’re making progress.”
“Talk to people and ask questions. Never be afraid to ask, because the only wrong question is the one that you’re not asking.”
Sainila spoke to a big group of MPTT trainees at the MPTT whanaungatanga day early in 2025.
Shape the future of yourself and industry
There’s a lot happening in electrics. Sainila has worked on everything from funeral homes, fitness centres, to very high-end restorations. Solar is an area of particular interest to Sainila too — it’s moving fast and opening up many new areas. He hopes to specialise and grow within the niche.
“Eventually, I want to be able to be in a position where I can hire these young, eager, keen MPTT students that come through Unitec,” he explains.
“In the next five years, that’s where I want to see myself… hiring a couple or a few MPTT students who are working under me, learning from me, and hopefully being able to tell their own story as well.”
Sainila says Māori and Pasifika Trades Training graduates are very attractive to employers. They enter the workforce with practical skills, cultural competency, and demonstrated commitment, having already proven they can balance work and life during their training.
The programme also creates networking opportunities that benefit both students and employers, such as finding an apprenticeship or a keen, well-prepared new hire.
Perhaps most importantly for the future of our trades, successful MPTT graduates like Sainila are set to become employers themselves. Each MPTT graduate helps build the path for many others. Together, they’re bringing cultural depth to the whole trade sector.
Make the most of support and connections
For employers, Sainila’s story shows the return on investment in the MPTT programme. His journey from scholarship recipient to business owner running high-value contracts is exactly the kind of success story that builds industries.
As Sainila has proven, when barriers are removed and support provided, Māori and Pasifika don’t just succeed in trades, they become the leaders who shape their future.
