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It was a simple online survey that led Solo Plastics’ CEO Alan Sutcliffe to discover many of his production staff were struggling with digital literacy, language and unable to use a computer. “Only around five per cent of staff returned our questionnaire and when I asked why no-one was filling the form out, it turned out that many had limited digital skills and most had little experience using computers. There were also challenges around English language skills to understand the questions. “At the same time, we were about to implement some automation in the factory meaning staff would have to use computers more and more, so we made the decision to pause that rollout and instead focus on how to upskill our staff in English, numeracy, digital literacy, and leadership,” says Alan. Coincidently, Competenz Workforce Development Business Partner Debs Wand was finding that, through the course of some manufacturing qualifications, many learners were struggling with their literacy and foundation skills. This led Debs to partner with workplace training providers Upskills and Jupiter Training to create bespoke literacy training to run alongside existing workplace qualifications. “There is no standard training programme,” says Debs. “Upskills and Jupiter Training design programmes that are tailored to the employer, often including the type of documentation or machinery employees or trainees will encounter in their work.” Solo Plastics is an Auckland-based company that designs, manufactures, and installs pipe and fittings for infrastructure projects including water, wastewater, and electrical industries. Among its 70 staff are two Competenz apprentices and the first literacy training programme saw 20 staff take part. “The aim was to increase the team’s knowledge and motivate them to own their processes, accept new technology, and to give them confidence to speak up and suggest ideas. The course was taught at their pace and absolutely […]

The EBOSS 2021 Construction Supply Chain Report gives fresh insights into the challenges the New Zealand construction industry is currently facing – with freight, price hikes and staff shortages shared concerns across the board. The Report, released to over 900 industry professionals, surveyed 240 suppliers across major product categories for residential and commercial construction on logistics, price impacts, the sustainability of New Zealand’s supply chain, operating in a global market, and staffing. The survey was conducted by EBOSS, which works with leading building product suppliers to assist in material selection by specifiers and is trusted by 30,000 architects, designers, builders, sub-trades, council planners and engineers, supported by BRANZ and funded by the Building Research Levy. The aim of the survey, carried out in July, was to provide data on the current and future state of the building product supply chain and help specifiers and builders to better plan ahead. It is the largest known survey of the New Zealand construction and building industry to date, focused on the state of the current product supply chain to the construction industry – an industry impacted by the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The EBOSS 2021 Construction Supply Chain Report Key Findings: 8 out of 10 suppliers were having issues supplying the market. 90% of construction products sold in New Zealand are either imported finished products or manufactured locally from at least some imported components. 91% of those who rely on imports say they’re experiencing issues supplying the market, compared to just 58% for those wholly reliant on domestic supply. 40% of suppliers don’t have enough staff to meet current demand and 56% say they don’t have enough staff to meet future demand 67% of suppliers surveyed say the increased cost of freight is their biggest issue (regarding their ability to supply their […]

Structural Steel NZ (SCNZ) has appointed Kevin Cowie to the role of Technical Director. Cowie has been a steadfast member of the SCNZ team since he joined as Senior Structural Engineer 12 years ago. SCNZ General Manager Darren O’Riley says that, in that time, Cowie has tirelessly supported the organisation to advocate the use of structural steel in construction. “Kevin’s well-deserved new title is a reflection of his standing in the construction community, where he has earned the deep respect of his colleagues, peers and the wider industry,” says O’Riley. “It also recognises Kevin’s exceptional technical skills, commitment to best practice and ongoing contribution to the sector.” Cowie has been involved in multiple standards committees from chairing NZS 3404 to participating in AS/NZS 2327, 1252 and 5131. He has co-authored and contributed to countless design guides and industry guidance documents, chaired numerous industry working groups, and is a regular presenter at engineering seminars, conferences and on SCNZ’s own webinar channel. Internationally, he has participated in invitation-only workshops on steelwork connections and other specialist conferences. “All the while, Kevin has unwaveringly provided invaluable project-specific technical advice to engineers,” says O’Riley. “SCNZ and the wider industry are fortunate to have Kevin driving our technical team to excel.”      

New Zealand businesses will be able to find exciting innovation opportunities thanks to new globally unique digital identifiers for different parts of their business. NZBN Organisation Parts, linked to a business’s legal entity identifier, the New Zealand Business Number (NZBN), and reinforced by a global international standard, will accelerate businesses’ adoption of digital ways of working. A business can assign Organisation Part identifiers to its different physical or logical parts (e.g., branches, departments, and delivery addresses) to enable accurate, safe digital interactions, and ensure key messages between trading partners (e.g., purchase orders, invoices, and deliveries) will be directed to the right place. “Organisation Parts will future-proof and empower businesses to innovate, digitise, and compete in the evolving digital economy”, says Ross van der Schyff, General Manager Business & Consumer at the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE). “The NZBN ecosystem has evolved to meet customer needs and now reflects New Zealand businesses’ structures and digital interactions. Organisation Parts will help businesses prepare for exciting opportunities, such as e-invoicing, secure transactions, and cloud-based information sharing, available with the growing digital economy.” Dr Peter Stevens CEO, GS1 New Zealand, noted the importance of businesses being globally connected for New Zealand’s status as a trading nation. “GS1’s Global Location Numbers were chosen by the Government in 2013 because they are globally unique, and part of a credible international system with strong links to trade and supply chain logistics. “Future uses of Organisation Parts could include creating digital pathways to track food from the paddock to the plate, car parts to the manufacturer, and medicine to specific cabinets in a hospital.” Active tech investor Serge van Dam says that the NZBN – now augmented with Organisation Parts – is the unique digital key that the digital ecosystem needs. “If businesses, technology providers and […]