Civil Matters: the Civil Trades newsletter | Summer 2024

11 Dec 2024

Growing the mana of Civil Trades

Hello and welcome to the Summer edition of the Civil Trades newsletter. This is my first edition as chair and I’m looking forward to leading our certification programme into the future.

Our outgoing chair David Howard has led the Board and operational team expertly and positioned Civil Trades to kick on to show its full value and get the widespread uptake it deserves within the industry. I’m honoured to be able to pick up where he left off and to help our certification programme take its next steps.

Personally, I’m incredibly passionate about the value Civil Trades adds for our industry. In my work as CEO of Isaac Construction, I have seen how it enhances our people and our business, providing a vehicle to recognise people’s skills and going some way to bestowing on them the mana they deserve for skills developed over many years.

My vision for Civil Trades is to build it to a level where having certified team members is mandated by clients as an expectation to be able to do work for them and demanded by businesses and their staff as something they all strive for.

More widespread uptake has the potential to improve performance standards in civil construction and demonstrate a standard of competence that lifts how businesses and the industry are viewed by clients.

It has a role to play in building our future workforce too – if people considering civil construction careers can see a pathway beyond NZQA Level 4, we can inspire a few more young people to get involved in the industry we all know and love.

I’m looking forward to working with all of you on achieving that promise in the year ahead. In the meantime, happy holidays – I hope all of you find some time to relax and unwind with friends and family, returning recharged for a fantastic 2025.

Best regards,

Jeremy Dixon
Chair, Civil Trades

Certification the icing on the cake for forestry earthmover

It only takes a quick chat with Civil Trades certified machine operator Dan Lane to realise he’s a man who loves his work.

“I’m third generation tied up in machinery,” he says proudly.

Now in his mid-30s and working in forestry earthworks for Taylors Contracting, it was Dan’s love of the job and belief in going as far as he can in the civil construction industry that led to his decision to become Civil Trades certified in 2022.

Civil Trades at CATE Conference

Our team was on the ground at the CATE Conference in Dunedin recently. Our Workforce Development Manager Rebecca Fox gave a presentation about the digital Careers Roadmap, while our exhibition booth provided careers advisors with the chance to learn about the pathways for young people entering the civil infrastructure industry.

Civil Trades goes social

Wondering about the latest happenings, events and news from Civil Trades?

Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date! These new accounts will provide regular updates and a place for our Civil Trades community to connect.

Photo of the quarter

James King (right) receiving his Level 4 qualification in Infrastructure Works (Civil) from Isaac Construction Chief Executive Jeremy Dixon back in 2021. In the years since James has continued to excel, and just last month he achieved his Civil Trades certification in Road Construction and Maintenance with an endorsement in Road Maintenance.