I sometimes hear people saying “You just can’t get a plumber, a sparkie or a builder when you need them.” And in a country with earthquakes, high winds and heavy rain that cause roads and buildings to be repaired or rebuilt, someone needs to pick up the pieces. There’s also a pipeline of construction and infrastructure work that still needs to be done. In short, we need more people with the skills to build more than ever.

It’s heartening to hear that people like you see the difference we’ve made in a short period of time. The number of apprentices has increased since our establishment in October 2021. 

Contributing to our economy

As the third largest contributor to our economy, it’s important that we help this sector to thrive. Doing that means sustainable economic growth, better jobs, and affordable, quality homes, schools, and hospitals. The GDP contribution of the construction industry reached over 18.6 billion New Zealand dollars in the year ended September 2022. It’s also useful to note that in the fourth quarter of 2022, over 182 thousand people were employed in the construction industry, a significant increase from just a decade prior. (Source: statista)  

Sharing knowledge

And speaking of thriving, we had our Thriving People, Thriving Industry Summit recently that brought together people from across our sector to share their knowledge and insights on attracting and keeping good people. Off the back of that event, there will be a tool kit of free videos and other useful resources you can use to help you and your people to thrive.   

This video gives you an overview of this event with some key insights. 

Our latest newsletter

So, aside from the summit, this bumper edition of Pitopito Kōrero covers how we’re addressing your challenges, how our qualifications team have been ensuring that qualifications are fit for purpose, along with what’s being developed, how we’re building wellbeing and productivity across the sector and the skills standards we’re developing.  

Stay connected with our work through our LinkedIn page, or drop us a line 

He waka eke noa.
We’re all in this together. 

Ngā mihi nui,
Philip Aldridge, Chief Executive / Te Tumu o Waihanga Ara Rau