Downer is one of four procurement partners that will be supporting the Government’s new Mana in Mahi – Strength in Work programme. The company says that with the skills shortage and a very low unemployment rate, the infrastructure sector is well placed to work with unskilled labour to upskill and provide the support needed for…
Peter Silcock, Chief Executive, Civil Contractors New Zealand I attended a Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment workshop yesterday to provide contractor input into the draft strategy on Government Procurement, and the Ministry’s draft Construction Skills Action Plan. It was great to see procurement at the centre of this new Government plan – and it…
Two career pathway programmes in the Waikato District are helping to address the skills shortage in the infrastructure industry following the recent graduation of 21 trainees and apprentices. The Downer Basic Civils Programme, between Downer and Waikato-Tainui, in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development, has resulted in seven previously unemployed members of the…
The Infrastructure Industry has launched a campaign to attract more women to the workforce Women around the country donned Hi-Vis attire last month for a ‘hands on’ taste of working in the Infrastructure Industry. The annual ‘Girls with Hi-Vis’ initiative lead by Connexis sees staff already working in the Infrastructure Industry inviting sisters, daughters, friends, cousins…
Richard Leach of Higgins Contractors and Ross McLaren of Andrew Haulage are the 7th and 8th New Zealanders to become Civil Trades Certified. Richard Leach, Higgins Contractors Richard is a much respected member of the Higgins team and has worked for the company for 23 years. He started out in Wellington as a labourer and…
Joshua Rapihana of Downer NZ and Scott McKenzie of Ching Contracting are the fifth and sixth Kiwis to become Civil Trades certified. Although Downer and Ching Contracting are at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of size, the Civil Trades regime is proving to be equally accessible and beneficial to both companies. Joshua Rapihana,…
Connexis will now oversee standards and qualifications for the Telecommunications Industry after working in close partnership with The Skills Organisation to make this transition. The Hon Louise Upston, Associate Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment, has formally confirmed that Connexis is now the Industry Training Organisation responsible for the Telecommunications Industry, along with Civil…
Women around the country will be donning high-vis jackets this June as they give careers in the Civil Infrastructure and Water Industries a go. GIRLS WITH HI-VIS month is an initiative by Ultimit (part of Industry Training Organisation Connexis). Developed in partnership with industry, the aim is to increase female participation in trade roles…
As the Civil Trades regime continues to gather momentum, we profile Wayne Smith of HEB Construction and Joe Fraser of Goodman Contractors – the third and fourth workers to become Civil Trades Certified. We also talk to Wayne and Joe’s employers about the implications of Civil Trades for their own business and for the wider…
by Helmut Modlik, Chief Executive at Connexis I heard recently the story of a principal of an Upper Hutt High School who was growling at a group of senior boys one day and, pointing to a group of men resurfacing a nearby road, said “that’s what you’ll all end up doing if you don’t stop…
