NZ STEEL: UNVIRALLED NEW CREDENTIALS New Zealand Steel and Pacific Steel’s flat and long steel products manufactured 12 June 2016 The construction labour force is not catching up with the immense construction boom in Auckland. Contrary to the positive trend, the city’s unemployment rate is still above the national average at 6.6 percent. The robust and seemingly omnipresent building and construction activities around Auckland have generated thousands of jobs; however, the shortage is evident as there are projects that should have been completed but remains unfinished, new constructions sites everywhere without the sufficient amount of construction professionals. Various construction professionals, such as plumbers are also falling short. In the next two years, there will be a plumber shortfall of 58% in Auckland. However, Auckland Build Expo 2016 aims to provide attendees better understanding of the issue as well as providing clear pathways for different visitors who are looking into working in the New Zealand construction industry. Christchurch 22-23 July 9 – 10 November 2016 Claudelands Event Centre, Hamilton Sponsor and Exhibitor Enquiries Welcome Expo Open Day 8 November More information: www.nmec.co.nz Lifting the Game of Maintenance Engineering EN008 at the Glenbrook facilities south of Auckland and in Otahuhu have become the latest products to receive independent environmental endorsement from Environmental Choice. According to Francesca Lipscombe, general manager, New Zealand Ecolabelling Trust, companies put their products forward for an ecolabel to show environmental commitment and to lift credentials. Integrity, according to MsLipscombe is a big part of this. “Not only has the manufacturing of New Zealand Steel and Pacific Steel’s flat and long steel products met our robust environmental criteria, they have exceeded the requirements under ‘fit for purpose’ another albeit smaller category of our specification. The Environmental Choice audit, by being so all-encompassing, delivers assurance about the overall integrity of a company." http://tinyurl.com/zamaumj ‘’We’ve got quite a number of people coming out of schools with trades abilities and they want to get into trade, but the pathways aren’t that good.’’ says Steve Fowler, chief executive of Macrennie Commercial Construction. Professionals within the industry suggests that a better immigration policy and foreign labour force are great solutions to tackle the labour shortage within the country. The managing director of recruitment company Labour Exchange, David Devereux, says that the quality of foreign labourers were at a satisfactory level for construction jobs within the country, such as labourers from Mexico for example. He believes a good foreign policy and immigration rules are necessary to allow more foreign labour force injection. It is also suggested to maintain this high level of building activity, graduates and people coming out of school need to be provided with a clearer pathway to enter relevant industries. According to show organisers this is severely lacking which is evident of the local labour shortage. Offering more opportunities to female professionals to the construction is also very crucial, which has increased significantly in the devoted effort of NAWIC, National Association of Women in Construction. Auckland Build Expo will be held November 16-17 at Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds. Auckland labour shortage calls for better pathways WEBSITE N E W S
EN jun16-LR
To see the actual publication please follow the link above