6 Nov 2017- The Worldskills New zealand Team won gold and five medallions of excellence at World International Competition hed during October in Abu Dhabi. Air New Zealand aircraft engineer, Jarrod Wood, won the gold medal in the aircraft maintenance skill competition of the 44th WorldSkills International Competition that was held 15-18 October 2017 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Wood was also awarded Best in Nation, for having the highest marks amongst all Competitors from New Zealand.
Malcolm Harris, CEO of WorldSkills New Zealand, says, “I am thrilled with the performance of the NZITP Skills Team at the recent WorldSkills International competition held in Abu Dhabi Oct 14-18. The team competed in 13 of 51 Skill categories in the competition attended by over 1300 of the world’s finest young skill apprentices.”
He adds that, “A Gold medal won by Jarrod Wood in the Aircraft Maintenance category sealed a very good team performance with another five competitors winning Medallions of Excellence for top scores.”
Wood, for his part, shares his experience on the Competition:“The competition skill of aircraft maintenance was full of professionals. It is a very good reflection of the people in our trade. Everyday was a challenge. But Mike [Naus, the NZ Skill Expert on aircraft maintenance who coached Wood throughout his training] and I took it day by day and that seemed to work well.” “I was so humbled to be standing on the stage next to Finland and Korea. Winning gold was such a shock. It still hasn’t sunk in yet. But I feel privileged and proud to be bringing back NZ’s second ever gold medal. I’m also proud to have been awarded Best in Nation.”
Wood, nonetheless, stresses, “But the whole NZ Team deserved that award. They’re such amazing professionals in their respective trades, and can all be proud of their performance.”
The five Medallions of Excellence won by the New Zealand Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (NZITP) Skills Team were the following:
1,300 young people from 59 WorldSkills Member countries and regions showcased their talent across 51 skillscompetitions, between 15-18 October. This was the first time that the WorldSkills Competition has been held in the Middle East and North Africa region. At the Closing Ceremony at the du Arena in Abu Dhabi - with around 10,000 international visitors and a global audience more than 825,000 online - watched Competitors discover who had won coveted gold, silver, and bronze WorldSkills medals.
In addition to the presentation of medals, the Closing Ceremony provided an opportunity to reflect on the success of WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017, the largest WorldSkills Competition to date, which attracted more than 125,000 visitors.
Held in conjunction with the Competition were the WorldSkills Conference 2017 and the first International TVET Youth Forum. These provided a unique opportunity for young professionals, Ministers, and other global policymakers to debate the major issues that the vocational education sector faces.
The Closing Ceremony of WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 ended with the handover of the WorldSkills flag to the next hosts, WorldSkills Kazan 2019. The 45th WorldSkills Competition will be held on 29 August – 3 September 2019 in Kazan, Russia.
The WorldSkills International Competition occurs every two years and is the biggest vocational education and skills excellence event in the world, reflecting global industry practice. Competitors will represent the best of their peers and are selected from skills competitions in 78 WorldSkills Member countries and regions. They demonstrate technical abilities both individually and collectively to execute specific tasks for which they study and/or perform in their workplace. Skills competitions showcase and inspire world-class excellence in skills and introduce the youth to a variety of skilled career options.
One of the main legacies of the WorldSkills Competitions is to give visibility and importance to professional education, as one of the true tools of socioeconomic transformation.
The Competition also provides leaders in industry, government, and education sectors with the opportunity to exchange information and best practices. New ideas and processes inspire school-aged youth to dedicate themselves to technical and technological careers and towards to a better future.
| A WorldSkillsNZ release || October 24, 2017 |||
6 Nov - Living Wage Movement Aotearoa New Zealand welcomes the first ever corporate business as an accredited Living Wage Employer. New Zealand's largest distributor of electricity and gas across the Auckland region, Vector Limited, joins nearly 90 other accredited businesses committed to paying no less than $20.20 to all workers, including contracted cleaners.
The announcement was made at Auckland’s Kai Pasifika restaurant, another Living Wage Employer at midday.
“This is momentous for the Movement and for all New Zealand workers,” says Living Wage Convenor Annie Newman.
“We congratulate Vector for its courage and commitment to a new standard for fair wages, where workers earn enough to live a decent life in NZ,” Annie says.
“The Movement has contacted many of the top NZ firms to invite them to be Living Wage and Vector is the first to embrace the concept. We hope it is just the beginning.”
Vector’s Group Chief Executive Simon Mackenzie says that the business supports a Living Wage because it is the right thing to do.
“Fairness and equity has been a big part of our approach to remuneration for a number of years, and we’re pleased to have this formally recognised through the Living Wage accreditation.
“Vector’s support of a Living Wage is also consistent with our commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and in particular the goal to reduce inequalities.
“As a large Kiwi employer with staff up and down the country, paying a Living Wage is one way we can help address inequality of living standards.
“In addition to our own people, we’re now working with our partners and suppliers to try and ensure support for a living wage across our supply chain.”
The inaugural Living Wage Week begins today (Monday) with events around the country bringing communities together to grow the movement for decent wages and celebrate businesses that are taking this fair wage standard seriously.
| A Living Wage Aotearoa release || November 6, 2017 |||
6 Nov 2017 - Top New Zealand CEOs are leading the way in progressing to flexible workplaces and providing a roadmap for other business leaders to follow, thanks to the Champions for Change business group of 56 New Zealand CEOs and Chairs. Champions for Change recently launched a Flexible Working Toolkit that collates CEOs’ insights in developing flexible workplaces to attract and retain top talent,increase productivity, and foster an agile response to changing market needs. The Flexible Working Toolkit provides templates, case studies, and specific suggestions of how flexibility can work for organisations.
With over half of the New Zealand workforce either currently working flexibly or wanting to in the future, a shift in leadership mindset and a plan to transition teams and employees to the “new normal” is critical to managing businesses of the future.
“We are seeing a fundamental transformation in the way we work,” says Alison Andrew, CEO of Transpower and a Champion for Change. “There are some very real challenges to overcome as we adapt from corporate traditions of set hours and locations to flexible hours and the ability to work remotely, whether at home or while travelling.”
New and constantly evolving technology, the 24 hours “open” global village, changing life styles, increased ethnic diversity, talent shortages and growth in female participation in the workforce are all trends driving the need for flexibility in the workforce, said Mark Verbiest, Chair of Spark and a Champion for Change.
“New Zealanders are famous for their ability to adapt and evolve, and having a flexible approach and mindset enables problems to be solved in new ways,” says Mark Verbiest.
Representing more than 100,000 direct employees in New Zealand across 44 leading organisations, Champions for Change is a group of 56 CEOs and Chairs from across the public and private sector who are committed to increasing diversity in the workplace.
The Champions for Change group reinforced that workforce flexibility is a much broader concept than “part time hours for new mums”; it is just as important for men as women. It encompasses caring for family members, embracing cultural commitments, and having the ability to participate in lifestyle activities such as sport, study and travel.
Under existing workplace law, employees have the right to request flexible work arrangements and employers have an obligation to consider the request.
“With the increasing pace of change including legislation that ratifies the importance of flexible work, an agile approach is essential,” says Alison Andrew. “We see flexibility as the biggest enabler for creating diverse and inclusive workplaces – and these businesses will be the most resilient and successful in the future.”
“When managed well, we’ve found that a flexible workplace will reduce staff turnover, lower absenteeism and increase how much satisfaction people get from their work. Plus, giving people flexibility has a real impact on morale,” said Mark Verbiest.
The Flexible Working Toolkit includes videos, info-graphics, fact sheets, templates and links to additional resources for company leaders. It is free to anyone looking for practical advice on how to develop a more flexible and inclusive workforce: http://flexibility.championsforchange.nz
| A Champion for Change release || November 6, 2017 |||
#7 - This panic’s debut can be firmly dated to May 2002 when the BBC exhibited a drama, Fields of Gold which many still believe to have been a documentary on supposedly devastating diseases caused by what suddenly became known as GM. This BBC scare mongering concoction insisted that GM was zoonotic in that the contagion it triggered could jump from animals to humans. The contagion it was dramatized could also jump not only from fauna to humans but also from flora.
The position nowThe panic went through the political class like a prairie fire and cost New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark (pictured) the outright majority she was confident in obtaining in the general election she called for the end of July that year. The BBC drama was rushed onto television here just before the general election election. The timing of the exhibiting here during peak time viewing was underpinned by a sense of urgency and imminence and thus carried
| MSC Newswire Big Frights of Our Times Series #7 || Monday 6 November 2017 |||
6 Nov 2017 - The Tappoo Group of Companies’ unique business strategy and its significant growth in re-exports was recognised during the Prime Minister’s International Business Awards as the company won the Re-Exporter of the Year Award. The Award recognises companies that have utilized Fiji’s strategic location in the Pacific and well established sea and air connections to manifest the country’s position as the true hub of the region. The company must have incorporated innovative business strategies in its growth plan that led to its significant progress both in re-export value and volume.DSC_3224
Established in 1941, the Group continues to strive for excellence and has successfully stamped its mark in the local and regional markets.
“We have recently ventured into re-exporting business and it has shown strong signs of growth. We are targeting the Pacific market together with New Zealand and Australia,” said the Executive Director of the Group, Kamlesh Tappoo.
The Group is the re-exporter of a number beverages to Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands. Exports to PNG and Vanuatu were under the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) agreement.
“We believe that we have successfully established an export market to PNG. We now aim to expand into other countries in the South Pacific region and subsequently to more develop neighbouring countries,” Mr. Tappoo said.
Investment Fiji Chief Executive Officer, Godo Mueller- Teut applauded the Group’s commitment towards enhancing Fiji’s position as the trading hub of the pacific.
“Re-exporters play a crucial role in the growth of the Fijian economy. They not only bring in wealth for the nation and create employment opportunities, but also make Fiji the centre of trade in the region. In 2016, Fiji’s total re-exports were valued at more than $814m, which represents 42 per cent of total exports.
Fiji has a positive balance of trade with the Pacific Island countries where re-exports were valued at more than $174m or 21 per cent of total re-exports last year,” Mr. Mueller- Teut said.
Mr. Mueller- Teut has urged the local businesses to take advantage of Fiji’s central location in the heart of the Pacific as it presents unique opportunities for them to expand their export footprints, especially in the regional markets.
| A FijiSun release || November 5, 2017 |||
6 Nov - The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has approved Teletrac Navman as an Electronic System Provider (ESP) and appointed it as an agent for the collection of Road User Charges (RUC) using its new RUC Manager platform and Electronic Distance Recorder. Teletrac Navman RUC Manager along with the Electronic Distance Recorder will allow users to manage, purchase, display and update road user licences in real-time. RUC Manager automatically tracks vehicle distance and calculates off-road activity, enabling accurate, NZTA-approved RUC rebates.
“The work Teletrac Navman undertook to develop RUC Manager to meet specific New Zealand regulatory requirements and gain ESP approval is a mark of our commitment to our long-standing customers and to the transport industry as a whole,” says Ian Daniel, vice president and managing director Asia Pacific, Teletrac Navman.
In July 2017, Teletrac Navman reached the milestone of tracking 100,000 vehicles across Australia and New Zealand.
“Globally the transport market is highly competitive. Businesses must perform under pressure, so solutions which help them to better manage costs, improve service, address safety, capture and analyse data, and address compliance requirements are extremely important.”
To receive NZTA approval Electronic System Providers must go through a rigorous development and testing process to prove the quality and reliability of the system.
“Teletrac Navman has completed the NZTA testing process and meets the standards for recognition as an ESP. The standards are designed to ensure that the technologies and systems tested are robust, reliable, and make compliance easier across many industries including transport, agriculture, forestry, trade and civil services,” says John Freeman, manager revenue assessments, NZTA.
| A TeltracNavman release || November 6, 2017 |||
6 Nov _ Ingram Micro New Zealand and HP have teamed up in a deal which will see Kiwi resellers receiving an additional bonus for trade-ins when buying HP’s mobility offerings. The Ingram Micro HP buy back deal will see resellers – and their customers – receiving ‘some really awesome buy-back rates’ on old equipment when upgrading to HP, with the vendor sweetening the deal even more with an added ‘top-up’. The deal applies to HP’s Elite mobility range. A full list of eligible HP Elite devices can be found here.
Jamie Hall, Ingram Micro HP business development manager, says the buy back, which runs through to January, covers any PCs, regardless of the brand, along with accessories, and does not affect special pricing currently available to resellers.
Amit Jamnadas, Ingram Micro Life Cycle Services business solutions manager, says up to $1000 trade-in will be available, depending on the devices.
The HP bonus is added on top of the trade-in.
“When you take that trade-in value and add the bonus HP is going to put on top of that it is a great value towards purchasing new HP devices,” he says.
The HP top up will be sizeable, adding additional value to each buy back device linked to a new HP Elite sale.
Hall says the amount of money customers can receive from the trade-ins creates a compelling story.
“It’s helping them close sales,” Jamnadas adds.
“Customers never want to pay full price and they end up with a whole lot of old kit when they acquire new devices. A lot of that kit has real value, so rather than turning them into a spare machine for staff to take home or for kids to load computer games on, they can trade it in and put the value towards new device purchases.
“That’s where the value is.”
Hall says often customers will look at replacing a handful of devices, without considering that the rest of their fleet is aging and will require replacement soon.
“A buy-back option will see the existing value in the fleet they have and that if they do the buy-back now they will get more value out of the old kit and potentially be able to refresh more and get more value back.”
He says many businesses also have devices that while not old, are not appropriate for the business anymore – such as devices bought for cloud services, but now needing more grunt.
“If the devices don’t meet what they ultimately need, this is a perfect opportunity to get some amazing value back, and then move to a device that will give them the productivity they’re after,” Hall says.
To get the most out of a buy back process, Hall says resellers simply need to provide Ingram Micro with the model serial number, processor, hard drive and accessories details for the old equipment.
Accessories can bump up the value of the buy back because buyes like having the full package, he says.
The increased dollar value in turn makes the decision to switch or upgrade to new HP equipment easier for resellers’ customers, Jamnadas says.
Ingram Micro will be doing a secured three-pass data wipe on all devices returned, with certificates issued to confirm the process has been completed and help with insurance coverage.
The Blancco data wipe used by Ingram Micro is regarded as a gold standard of data wiping and is used by intelligence and government agencies around the world.
“It provides the peace of mind that none of the data will appear anywhere else,” Jamnadas says.
"Concerns about what will happen to data on devices that are traded in is a key issue for people considering buy-back schemes," Hall notes.
The HP buy-back promotion builds on Ingram Micro’s work in the buy-back arena over the past year.
“It’s an area of business we’ve seen ramp up over the past year,” Jamnadas says.
For more information on the buy-back offer, click here.
| A Channel release || November 6, 2017 |||
6 Nov - Mining giant Rio Tinto Group is adding two alumina refineries in Australia to the Pacific Aluminium portfolio in an effort at sweetening the deal for potential suitors, according to a trio of sources claiming familiarity with the matter.
According to an article run by Reuters earlier this week, Rio Tinto included the QAL and Yarwun refineries to Pacific Aluminium’s existing assets, which include Australian smelters at Bell Bay, Boyne Island, and Tomago, and New Zealand’s Tiwai Point smelter. Sources indicate that the addition of the two refineries could boost the overall value of the portfolio by another billion dollars to US$2 billion.
Neither Glencore plc., Liberty House Group, nor Rio Tinto would comment on the rumors, and U.C. Rusal was unavailable for comment. However, Glencore is known to have operations in the vicinity of the refineries in question. In addition, Liberty House purchased an aluminium smelter from Rio Tinto in Scotland last year and this year purchased Australian steel firm Arrium in a bid to increase its presence Down Under.
Experts see the addition of these assets as a signal to the wider metals market as well, as the previous CEO Sam Walsh was unable to sell the portfolio during his tenure.
“We view inclusion of the refineries into the mix as a stamp of the new leadership at Rio, increasing the chances of a sale,” opined a fund manager with interest in Rio Tinto.
In addition, analysts see no time better than the present for offering alumina assets up for sale, noting that prices are half-again higher than in August on predictions that capacity cuts in the People’s Republic of China will lead to significantly higher imports.
“If ever there was a time to have a supply source for alumina outside of China, it’s now,” said James Wilson of Argonaut to Reuters. “For Rio, it make sense. For a buyer, such as a Glencore or a Rusal, it makes sense.”
| An Aluminium Insider release || November 6, 2017 |||
Palace of the Alhambra, Spain
By: Charles Nathaniel Worsley (1862-1923)
From the collection of Sir Heaton Rhodes
Oil on canvas - 118cm x 162cm
Valued $12,000 - $18,000
Offers invited over $9,000
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
Mount Egmont with Lake
By: John Philemon Backhouse (1845-1908)
Oil on Sea Shell - 13cm x 14cm
Valued $2,000-$3,000
Offers invited over $1,500
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242