NEWS AND INFORMATION FROM AROUND OUR INDUSTRY.
Reality for women on tools As the industry seeks to grow the low number of women getting on the tools, a recent survey run by the Women in Trades Collective looked to discover what would encourage more women into these jobs and what employers perceive as the barriers to hiring them. More than 1,600 responded to the women’s survey, most of them interested in working in trades. The Trade Careers survey, which ran in April, was followed in May by a series of nationwide workshops to develop ways to engage women to try trades careers and encourage employers to take them on. Trade Careers is supported by Skills, BCITO, Connexis and Competenz. NZ Plumber will be keeping an eye on the survey results.
KAINGA ORA NOW ISSUING BUILDING CONSENTS Consentium has become the first accredited and registered non-TA Building Consent Authority in New Zealand. A standalone and independent division of Kāinga Ora, the BCA will process national building consents for Kāinga Ora for public housing of up to four levels as well as providing inspections and Code Compliance Certificates. The process covers new builds, retrofits, and any repairs and maintenance needing a building consent.
Visit the Trade Careers website at tradecareer.co.nz
CONSTRUCTION SECTOR ACCORD CHAMPIONING DIVERSITY The Construction Sector Accord is partnering with Diversity Works New Zealand, the national body for workplace diversity and inclusion. “We want to encourage more diverse talent into the construction sector and shift away from our traditional way of attracting, recruiting, retaining and growing people—the status quo isn’t working,” says Accord Director Dean Kimpton. “We are embarking on this project with Diversity Works New Zealand to better understand how we can improve diversity, equity and inclusion and, ultimately, to better reflect the communities who live and work in the environments we create.” The skills shortage is one of the construction industry’s biggest challenges, impacting the sector’s capacity to deliver construction projects. Women make up only 18% of the
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construction-related workforce in NZ and Māori and Pasifika are underrepresented in skilled professions and at leadership level. “The industry has exciting initiatives underway to meet some of these challenges through the work of the Diversity Agenda, the National Association of Women in Construction and Women in Trades, as well as organisations like Keystone Trust,” says Kimpton. “We are looking forward to building a roadmap with Diversity Works New Zealand to transform the sector to better invest in and promote diversity.” Diversity Works New Zealand Chief Executive Maretha Smit says one of the first steps will be in-depth research to get a clear understanding of current diversity and inclusion practices—the first time this will have been conducted across the construction industry as a whole.
