Screen-print illustration of Lake Te Anau waterfront and the Murchison Mountains — Illustration generated with AI.

45.41° S, 167.72° E. Southland District, Southland (Murihiku)

Microsoft Copilot training in Te Ānau

Te Ānau visitor operators and lobster logistics staff both hand information between people and systems. Copilot training can map a permitted Excel register to a Word handover and an Outlook message.^1,2,3

Enquire Read the local brief

55.4% of Te Ānau’s employed residents are in desk-based roles.

	A	B	C	D
1	Role type	Te Ānau	NZ	Diff (pts)
2	Desk-based	55.4%	63.6%	−8.2
3	People-facing	9.9%	9.0%	+0.9
4	Hands-on	34.8%	27.4%	+7.5
5	Employed residents	1,602	2,622,534

About 888 people in desk-based roles. 2023 Census, counted where people live.

Rows 2 to 4: ANZSCO major groups 1, 2, 5, 6 / 4 / 3, 7, 8. Stats NZ 2023 Census, employed residents. Proxy per ILO 2025; not a forecast.

Residents: 2,7502023 Census
Business locations: 444Feb 2025, +12.1% since 2020
Employees (jobs here): 2,000at local businesses, Feb 2025
Self-employed or employers: 19.5%of employed residents, NZ 16.2%
Drive to Invercargill: 130 min159 km by road

What AI means for work in Te Ānau

5 findings from Stats NZ data for Te Ānau, and what each means for Microsoft Copilot training.

Workforce by occupation group, Te Ānau against New Zealand

55.4% of employed residents in Te Ānau work in desk-based roles, against 63.6% across New Zealand. The difference is mostly labourers: 12.7% of employed residents here, against 9.0% nationally. Size the licences to the desk-based roles rather than headcount. A pilot with office, scheduling and management staff shows value before you pay for everyone.

Employed residents by occupation group, Te Ānau and New Zealand, 2023 Census
Occupation group	People	Te Ānau	NZ
Managers	318	19.9%	18.3%
Professionals	297	18.5%	26.8%
Technicians and trades workers	249	15.5%	12.5%
Community and personal service workers	159	9.9%	9.0%
Clerical and administrative workers	168	10.5%	10.8%
Sales workers	105	6.6%	7.8%
Machinery operators and drivers	105	6.6%	5.9%
Labourers	204	12.7%	9.0%

Desk-based = ANZSCO major groups 1, 2, 5 and 6 (managers, professionals, clerical and administrative, sales): roles where AI assistance is most applicable. Broad proxy informed by ILO 2025; not measured adoption or an employment forecast. People-facing = major group 4. Hands-on = major groups 3, 7 and 8.

Source: Stats NZ, 2023 Census, usually resident employed people; ILO, Generative AI and jobs: a refined global index of occupational exposure (2025).

Hospitality: 35.4% of local jobs, 4.9× the national share

Top employer: hospitality, 700 jobs (35.4%). Heat cells mark industries over-represented against New Zealand. Plan Copilot use cases by department in the largest employers first.

Share of paid jobs by industry, Te Ānau and New Zealand, February 2025
Industry	Jobs	Share	NZ	×
Hospitality	700	35.4%	7.2%	4.9×
Retail	240	12.1%	9.3%	1.3×
Transport and warehousing	230	11.6%	4.2%	2.8×
Construction	150	7.6%	8.2%	0.9×
Arts and recreation	150	7.6%	2.0%	3.8×
Education	120	6.1%	8.5%	0.7×
Manufacturing	70	3.5%	9.4%	0.4×
Farming, forestry, fishing	60	3.0%	4.8%	0.6×
Professional services	60	3.0%	8.3%	0.4×
Health and social care	50	2.5%	12.0%	0.2×

Share of paid employees at business locations in the area, by ANZSIC06 industry division. × is the local share divided by the national share.

Source: Stats NZ, Business Demography Statistics, February 2020 and 2025.

Business locations +12.1% and employees +11.1%, 2020 to 2025

Paid employees 1,800 (2020) to 2,000 (2025), +11.1% against +5.0% nationally. Business locations 396 to 444. Largest job gain: transport and warehousing (+120). Largest loss: retail (−40).

Business locations: 396444 in 2025, from 2020; +12.1% NZ +9.6%
Employees (jobs here): 1,8002,000 in 2025, from 2020; +11.1% NZ +5.0%

Change in employees by industry in Te Ānau, February 2020 to February 2025
Industry	2020	2025	Change
Transport and warehousing	110	230	+120
Arts and recreation	35	150	+115
Education	75	120	+45
Retail	280	240	−40
Wholesale	45	30	−15
Manufacturing	80	70	−10

Geographic units (business locations) and paid employees, February of each year. Small counts are randomly rounded by Stats NZ, so small changes can be noise.

Source: Stats NZ, Business Demography Statistics, February 2020 and 2025.

Remote readiness: work at home and household internet

Both on-site and remote sessions work. Most teams start with a half-day on-site.

18.2%

Mainly worked from home, census day 2023

New Zealand 17.7%

88.6%

Households with internet access

New Zealand 90.5%

Main means of travel to work on census day, and access to the internet in occupied private dwellings.

Source: Stats NZ, 2023 Census, usually resident employed people.

Self-employed and employers: 19.5% (New Zealand 16.2%)

A high share of small operators. Copilot suits organisations on Microsoft 365 Business plans, so check your plan before training; Copilot Chat may already be included.

19.5%

self-employed or employers

New Zealand 16.2%

Employed residents whose status in employment is employer, or self-employed without employees.

Source: Stats NZ, 2023 Census, usually resident employed people.

Copilot for Te Ānau’s largest employers

Council documents a strong visitor-service base, while Fiordland Lobster Company describes grading and transport steps. The useful question is who owns each file and who verifies the proposed communication.^1,2,3

Tourism and accommodation

Use approved SharePoint guest guidance to draft an Outlook answer, then have reception check services and availability.^1,6

Lobster processing and logistics

Create a Word dispatch handover from a synthetic Excel lot register, reconciling every item with the source sheet.^2,3

About Te Ānau

Southland District Council's 2026 Te Anau-Manapōuri assessment reports Te Anau GDP of $194.4 million and 1,982 filled jobs in 2025, with the visitor economy shaping its local business mix. The assessment lists 69 accommodation and food-service businesses, 69 construction businesses and 75 rental, hiring and real-estate businesses in Te Anau. Fiordland Lobster Company has its head office in Te Ānau and describes a supply chain that brings remote Fiordland catches to its local facility for temperature-controlled transport and export. The Fiordland Business Association connects local businesses across tourism, trades, construction, agriculture, retail, hospitality, transport and professional services. Council proposals for a new commercial direction for Te Anau Airport Manapōuri were still being evaluated in August 2026.^1,2,3,4,5

Microsoft Copilot ideas grounded in Te Ānau

Tourism, accommodation and visitor services

Turn lake-cruise updates into checked shift notes
A Fiordland operator could use Copilot Chat and Word to turn approved DOC concession material and an internal timetable into a draft service brief with links to the source clauses. An operations lead checks permit wording, dates and any changes before staff use it.⁶

Why here: DOC's 2026 application concerns continuation of passenger-transfer and cruise services on Lake Te Anau; it describes an application rather than a confirmed decision.
- Microsoft Copilot Chat with attached files
- Microsoft Copilot in Word
Prepare visitor replies from approved local information
A front-desk team could use Copilot in Outlook to draft replies from approved visitor information and its own current booking policies. Staff check seasonal access, operating hours and booking details before sending each message.¹⁰

Why here: Visit Fiordland's visitor-information service handles activity and accommodation bookings for Te Anau and the wider Fiordland area.
- Microsoft Copilot in Outlook
- Microsoft Graph grounding on permissioned Microsoft 365 content
Convert team debriefs into visitor-service actions
After a busy day, a supervisor could use Copilot in Teams to summarise an internal debrief and draft an action list in Word for staff review. The manager checks that the summary reflects the meeting and assigns owners through the existing team process.⁴

Why here: The Fiordland Business Association lists tourism, hospitality and transport among the industries represented in its local network.
- Microsoft Copilot in Teams
- Microsoft Copilot in Word

Southern rock lobster fishing, processing and export logistics

Review de-identified catch hand-off records
A logistics coordinator could use Copilot Chat's file analysis on de-identified receiving, transport and dispatch records to identify missing timestamps or outlier journey durations. The team checks each exception against its operational records and does not use the model to make animal-welfare, food-safety or payment decisions.³

Why here: Fiordland Lobster Company describes direct transfers from remote Fiordland sounds to Te Anau, followed by temperature- and humidity-controlled truck transport and export packing.
- Microsoft Copilot Chat file attachments
- Microsoft Copilot Chat basic data analysis
Summarise approved cold-chain procedures for induction
A team lead could use Copilot in Word to turn approved internal handling instructions into a short induction draft for new staff. A trained manager verifies every operating threshold and safety direction against the current controlled procedure.³

Why here: Fiordland Lobster Company describes seawater holding and temperature- and humidity-controlled transport in the local supply chain it operates from Te Anau.
- Microsoft Copilot in Word
- Microsoft Graph grounding on permissioned Microsoft 365 content
Draft a supplier-status note from checked records
A finance coordinator could use Copilot in Outlook to draft a plain-language supplier-status email from approved records and internal correspondence. A staff member verifies the supplier identity and account-change controls outside the model before any payment action.¹⁷

Why here: GetVerified's 2026 provider case study discusses supplier onboarding and account-detail verification at Fiordland Lobster Company in Te Anau.
- Microsoft Copilot in Outlook
- Microsoft Graph grounding on permissioned Microsoft 365 content

What Te Ānau does

Tourism, accommodation and visitor services. Southland District Council's Te Anau-specific 2026 assessment says the visitor economy shapes local business activity and lists 69 accommodation and food-service businesses in 2025. Te Anau is also the setting for passenger-transfer and cruise services on Lake Te Anau: the Department of Conservation published a 2026 concession application seeking continuation of those services, but the page does not record a decision.^1,6 Named in public sources: Real Journeys Limited⁶.
Southern rock lobster fishing, processing and export logistics. Fiordland Lobster Company says it was formed by Fiordland fishers in 1989 and that its head office remains in Te Ānau. The company describes direct airlifts from remote Fiordland sounds to its Te Anau facility, temperature- and humidity-controlled trucks, live holding, grading and export packing; public sources do not state the local workforce or production volume.^2,3 Named in public sources: Fiordland Lobster Company².
Construction and property services. The council's 2026 assessment lists 69 construction businesses and 75 rental, hiring and real-estate businesses in Te Anau for 2025; those are business counts, not employee totals. Southland Business Chamber's directory lists 100% Fiordland Electrical at 19 Luxmore Drive as a local domestic and industrial electrical contractor, providing a concrete example of the town's trade-services base.^1,7 Named in public sources: 100% Fiordland Electrical⁷.

Organisations are named for local context only. No relationship with them is implied.

Training venues in and near Te Ānau

Most training happens at your own workplace. For a public workshop day or an off-site session, these places hire out rooms.

Shakespeare House B&B conference room¹²

20 people, largest layout

Venue states a maximum of 20; a minimum or room layout is not specified.
- Wi-Fi
- large screen TV
- HDMI cable
- whiteboard
- sound system
Te Kūwaha Mātauraka day hire¹³

The page explicitly offers workshops and day meetings and describes spacious, flexible spaces, but gives no seated capacity; confirm that a 20-40 person layout is possible.
- Wi-Fi
- large presentation screen
- flexible indoor and outdoor spaces
- commercial kitchen and catering options
Fiordland Community Events Centre¹¹

Conference venue

Lists conferences, expos, halls and meeting rooms and says its modern facilities can host up to 500 people overall. Room-specific capacity, AV, Wi-Fi and hire arrangements need confirmation.

22 Luxmore Drive, Te Anau
Distinction Te Anau Hotel & Villas, MacKinnon Private Room¹⁴

Hotel

The 70.2 m² room lists 24 classroom, 60 theatre, 16 boardroom and 40 banquet places. Its page does not specify presentation equipment; confirm AV and setup with the events coordinator.
Te Anau Golf Club clubhouse¹⁵

Conference venue

The clubhouse is hired for events up to 100 people and has hosted corporate meetings and presentations. Room layout, Wi-Fi and presentation equipment are not listed on the hire page.

169 Golf Course Road, Te Anau
Te Anau Lakeview Holiday Park group spaces¹⁶

Meeting room

The park says meeting rooms and indoor/outdoor group spaces are available for hire; no meeting-room capacity or AV/Wi-Fi details are listed.

77 Manapouri-Te Anau Highway, Te Anau

From the venues’ own public listings. No booking or relationship is implied.

In the local business news

5 Aug 2026
Te Anau Airport Manapōuri RFP process continues Southland District Council
Southland District Council reported that airport proposals were still under evaluation and described increasing aviation activity, including larger aircraft connected with tour operations. The outcome of the commercial process was not yet stated.
13 Apr 2026
Fiordland Lobster Company makes sure every supplier gets a green tick GetVerified
GetVerified's vendor-published case study describes the Te Anau seafood company's supplier-onboarding and bank-account verification workflow. It is a provider case study, not an independent evaluation of the product or reported savings.
9 Oct 2025
Dozens apply for role at lobster factory Otago Daily Times
The Otago Daily Times reported that Fiordland Lobster Company received 91 applications for a factory-hand role in Te Anau. This is a single recruitment example, not a measure of town-wide labour demand.
20 Feb 2024
Housing Crisis Threatens Fiordland Economy Southland Business Chamber
A Fiordland Business Association survey of 71 local businesses in November 2023 found that 56% called housing a significant business problem and more than half reported being short by one to five staff because of housing scarcity. These are survey responses, not a population-wide estimate.

Around Te Ānau

Lake Te Anau, New Zealand (1) by Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0.

About 122 km in a straight line to Invercargill, the nearest large centre. Dots are towns covered on this site.

Southland District and Microsoft Copilot training across Southland, or Invercargill. Distances are straight-line.

A Te Ānau session can test one guest-information path and one dispatch path with fictional files and named review owners.^1,2,3

Public Microsoft Copilot workshops near Te Ānau

There is no public Copilot workshop near Te Ānau on the calendar yet. Register interest below and we will tell you when one is scheduled. Organisations can book private training for their own staff at any time.

Tell me when there is a workshop near Te Ānau

We will email you when a public workshop is scheduled nearby. No other mailing.