BEST IN THE LOWER NORTH ISLAND RECOGNISED IN SKILLS
IN ACTION AWARDS
Top achievers in the engineering, manufacturing and food related sectors have been recognised in the third round of regional Skills in Action Awards evenings to take place around the country.
The awards for the lower North Island region follow the earlier Auckland/North and Waikato/Bay of Plenty regional awards, recognising and rewarding those who go the extra mile in industry training including the teachers, assessors and companies who excel in upskilling their staff.
The country’s top trainees and apprentices are also recognised by the awards, which were established by Skills4Work, a not for profit organisation, to help raise the profile of industry training. Skills4Work was recently formed in a restructure of the engineering industry training organisation, Competenz.
The awards offer a prize pool of more than $100,000. The final regional awards will take place in Christchurch in September, with the regional series culminating in a national awards ceremony in Auckland later this year.
At the Lower North Island awards the following were recognised for their outstanding commitment and achievements in the training industry:-
Most Promising Smart Force Student
Michael Clayton, Central Hawkes Bay College
Year 12 student Michael Clayton has his eyes firmly set on an engineering apprenticeship and career, and ultimately working in the Western Australia mines. After winning Most Promising Smart Force Student, Michael is confident he’s made the right career choice.
“It’s awesome. It shows I’m good at what I like doing.”
The talent that won Michael the title doesn’t stop in the classroom and he can already lay claim to a number of significant projects. “I enjoy building things at home and have finished building a mini chopper from scratch. I made all the axles on the lathe at school and now I’m working on a fully customized ute.”
Michael hopes to take up a light fabrication apprenticeship at the end of this year.
Most Dedicated Mechanical Engineering or Technology Teacher
Chris Welch, Palmerston North Boys High School
A 30 year history working in the engineering industry has given Chris Welch the knowledge to create a winning formula that’s delivering success for students and local businesses alike.
“Coming from a long background in the industry, I understand the needs of employers and the exciting opportunities available for our students in this area,” says Chris.
Chris has been a steering group member for the schools level one qualification, which delivers students a practical set of unit standards leading into the level two course and onto an apprenticeship.
He has taken a proactive role in introducing his students to industry and the number of students in senior school entering Chris’s classes has doubled in the last two years.
Most Dedicated Gateway Coordinator or Careers Advisor
Beverley McLean, Spotswood College
Since New Plymouth’s Spotswood College enrolled in the school gateway programme in 2001, Head of Transition and Gateway at the College, Beverley McLean, has introduced some winning initiatives.
“One of our major initiatives is a sponsored gateway car that has enabled us to more frequently visit students in the workplace. It has given a group of employers more of a stake in the programme through their sponsorship of the car and is a great asset both to the programme and the school,” says Beverley.
Last year saw nine Spotswood students enter apprenticeships thanks to what Beverly deems a team effort.
“I’m not doing this alone. I have had the support of an excellent gateway assistant for five years and this award is to be shared with her and the many employers in the New Plymouth region who we work co-operatively with.”
Top Trainee
Shona Keighley, Hawera New World
After only two years in the baking industry, top trainee Shona Keighley has already worked her way up to a second in charge position in the bakery at Hawera New World.
Shona recently completed her traineeship and is now looking to further her education in the baking industry.
But it’s only after a range of jobs and raising a family that Shona embarked on her baking career, starting as a bakery assistant at Hawera New World. Since those early days, she vowed to one day get a manager’s position in the industry.
With the Top Trainee award behind her, Shona is a whole lot closer. “Now I know I can do it – and it’s not far off.”
Top Apprentice Year 1 & 2
Curtis Nepia, Industrial Mouldings Limited
Curtis Nepia is 18 months into his maintenance and diagnostics apprenticeship with Industrial Mouldings and facing a bright future after being named Top Apprentice Year 1 & 2.
“This win has just made me want to go as far as I can. There’s still so much to learn and I just want to keep going.”
Curtis had always been interested in getting a trade and jumped at the chance when offered the apprenticeship opportunity with Industrial Mouldings. Factory Manager Ian Price says Curtis rapidly became a valuable member of the team.
“Curtis has proved his worth and position here many times. His attention to detail and willingness to learn makes him a valued member of staff. His ambition to achieve both in the factory and in studies is a credit to him,” says Ian.
Top Apprentice Year 3+
Tony Andersen, Ashhurst Engineering & Construction
Age has been no barrier for Top Apprentice Year 3+ Tony Anderson who at 40, has just completed his apprenticeship in heavy fabrication.
“This award is icing on the cake – a great way to finish off an apprenticeship,” says Tony.
Tony had been working at Ashhurst Engineering for about nine months when the opportunity came up to start an apprenticeship.
“I’d definitely do it all again given the opportunity. It’s great to have this qualification behind me.”
For the short term Tony now has his sights set on the national awards in Auckland. Longer term, he’s looking forward to using his engineering skills to fulfill another dream – building his own fishing boat.
Registered Workplace Assessor of the Year
Noel Huggard, Fitzroy Engineering Group
Giving something back to the trade is what drives winning Registered Workplace Assessor Noel Huggard in his role with Fitzroy Engineering Group in New Plymouth.
“I was trained under a different structure where we were always taught alongside a tradesman. Now I feel I have the chance to give some of what I learnt many years ago back to today’s young apprentices,” says Noel, who has worked as Fitzroy’s Training Co-ordinator for just over three years.
Seeing gateway students progress through and achieve their apprenticeships is a source of personal satisfaction for Noel.
“Often the younger people I see are looking for encouragement and someone to take them out of their comfort zone to really make their learning ‘spark’. To see them get out of their comfort zone, work through what I call the ‘ouch’ zone and come out the other side a success is the best reward I can ask for,” says Noel.
Small to Medium Enterprise
Total Sheetmetals NZ Ltd
Training is at the heart of Total Sheetmetals in Palmerston North, winner of the Small to Medium Enterprise Award.
When Directors Shaun Palmer and Damian Mulcahy took over the business four years ago, they made a commitment to make training accessible at all levels across the organisation.
“Training was seen as an essential element to progress and enhance our business and we have committed to training since we started as the new owners.
“We sought courses at the appropriate level of the need, ranging from business acceleration courses for management, leadership for management and senior staff, software for admin staff, apprenticeships for staff looking to trade careers, health and safety for all staff and even one-on-one training for our SkillEx national and international competitors,” says Shaun.
With a permanent staff base of around 32, Total Sheetmetals has seen noticeable results from training on a number of levels including improvements in safety procedures and business productivity, increased drive in apprentices to progress their training, as well as greater independence and ownership of projects by staff.
“Training and training opportunities have been a success in their own right. Training has become a catalyst in that more employees are looking to enhance their skills – both trade and personal,” says Shaun.
Workplace Safety Award
Steel & Tube Holdings Ltd
Steel & Tube Holdings’ unique workplace initiatives and workplace safety record have won the company the top Workplace Safety Award.
The company’s staff identification and crane and forklift operator identification policy has been a particularly positive safety procedure, delivering good results.
Under the initiative, all store members with less than six months service wear a colour coded staff identity card. Hardhats are also colour coded to determine whether the wearers are visitors, employees with more than six months service or new employees with less than six months service.
“This initiative allows a visual audit of staff operating on the stores floor to assess their level experience. It has ensured more experienced staff recognise that they have an additional responsibility towards new staff members in ensuring their safety at work,” says National Health and Safety Coordinator Andrew Schlup.
“The result has been a reduction in crane incidents, strengthened crane and forklift training policies, employee ownership to advance training and improved employee morale.”
The Skills in Action Awards are supported by some of the best known names in industry, including Premium Sponsors Blackwoods Paykels, Protector Safety, HayleyMedia, Competenz, Tools4Work and supporting sponsors Makita, EPMU and Uvex.
For more information about how to enter the Skills In Action awards, visit www.skills4work.org.nz and check out the Awards & Scholarships section.