As part of a series of stories profiling people of influence from around Beca, we asked Software Engineer Dallas Watene (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Tuwharetoa) to tell us about his career journey and life outside of work.
Where did you grow up?
I was born in the small town of Te Kuiti and moved to Gisborne when I was four, marking a new chapter in my parents’ life. The East Coast was home until I moved to Auckland in 2014 for university.
As a kid, maths and science was a strongpoint of mine. I was fascinated with space and planets. I was a big nerd for fantasy as well (huge Lord of the Rings fan). I was also a very creative, imaginative and artsy type of person. In an alternate life I could have been an artist, graphic designer or even an author.
I always had a passion for technology – not that we had the money for technological devices at home. It definitely stemmed from liking video games. At school I would rush to the computer room before school started and at lunch time so that I could play games.
It was a presentation by some Māori staff from the University of Auckland that got me interested in engineering. They came to my school in Gisborne during my final year. Before that, I didn’t have a single clue on what I wanted to do outside of finishing school. This was such a pivotal moment for me. Our school at the time didn’t really get much exposure to tertiary education so it was very fortunate that they came.
What did you decide to study?
I chose computer systems engineering, so that I would learn about both hardware and software, but it’s the software engineering route that I’ve decided to take in my career. It’s been a challenge, but a good challenge for me to upskill and get up to speed with the fundamentals of software engineering.
I’ve been at Beca for six years now and things have changed quite a bit in that time. It’s our job to be the centre of excellence for digital at Beca, so one of the things we’ve been really working on is helping the wider Beca team adapt to the changing digital landscape, as well as provide guardrails for non-software people to delve into their own software development should they choose to.
AI is now a daily topic of conversation in our team. It’s exciting – and naturally there’s probably a little bit of uncertainty around it as this space is moving so fast and the future is still evolving. My thoughts are that there will always be a role for human decision making.
Were there many other Māori studying computer systems alongside you?
There were quite a few Māori and Pasifika coming into engineering at that time – the push that the university did was quite effective! But sadly the numbers in the digital and technology space were few.
Generally, I’ve found that digital isn’t a space that Māori and Pasifika people tend to pursue as a career option. When I’ve spoken at careers events and asked people in the room how many are considering a career in digital, there are very few who put up their hands. Maybe because the digital world is culturally so foreign to us, when it shouldn’t be - I believe our perspectives can absolutely shine in this field.
What do you say to young people to encourage them? What skills do they need to follow this career path?
If you’re able to think in patterns or sequences, you’ll do well. Think of it like building Lego or following a cooking recipe - breaking things down into steps is fundamental to what we do.
There’s also a ton of information and free courses online that you can get stuck into. A lot of software engineers are self-taught and have become really proficient in this field.
I think particularly for our Māori and Pasifika looking at STEM, accessibility can sometimes be a barrier, so this is one of the big advantages of this field.
What have you seen change at Beca over the last six years, in terms of Māori initiatives?
I’ve noticed a perspective shift. We’ve always had people who were active in this space, working on kaupapa Māori (Māori initiatives), but I’ve seen it trickle down and out to others too.
In our weekly digital team meetings, every meeting starts with a karakia, and everyone takes turns to say it. Doesn’t matter if you’re not confident – it’s become a safe space to practice. Those day-to-day things make a big difference, I think. When we have this stuff building from the ground up, as well as our leaders making changes at a strategic level – we’re coming at this from both angles and it results in lasting change.
I think people are starting to see the benefits. They can take things from a te ao Māori lens, and vice versa. I think both worldviews complement each other’s weaknesses. For example, If I’m running an event, I’d put some time in the agenda for whakawhanaungatanga or ‘connection’. It’s just networking, but when you put it in a Māori context, it can add a deeper layer I think, that results in people leaving with their hearts and wairua (spirit) filled and potential long lasting connections.
What are your hopes for the future of Aotearoa? What kind of place do you hope your kids will grow up in?
I hope that Aotearoa will be a place where they don’t have to leave their culture at the door. Where being Māori, speaking Māori is totally accepted and recognised as something of value.
As a kid, I didn’t really have a strong inner voice. I want to teach my tamariki (children) - my son who is three and my daughter who’s going on eight months - to never second-guess themselves in terms of who they are. Their Māoritanga is a perspective that has value. It is a superpower!
