Items filtered by date: Tuesday, 02 December 2014

The Machinery Market latest edition3 November 2017

3 Nov - For the first time, a comprehensive new guide that introduces young Kiwis to the many career opportunities in New Zealand’s booming service industry has been published by ServiceIQ, Industry Training Organisation (ITO) for tourism and travel, retail and retail supply chain, hospitality, aviation, and museums service sectors.

Service Career Kick-Starter was launched to the whole of the country via the Sunday Star Times at the end of October.

It’s packed full of helpful information, case studies, sector profiles, statistics, job and career paths, and real success stories with just a few of the thousands of talented young New Zealanders gaining an education and industry qualifications on the job, including up-and-coming pilots, aviation engineers, chefs, tour guides, retail managers, museum curators and more.

The well-established industry sectors offer serious opportunities in which to gain an education, real skills, national qualifications and a career, and achieving it all on the job, earning as you learn.

In fact, around 35 percent of all new job opportunities between 2017 and 2021 are in the sectors ServiceIQ serves.

ServiceIQ Chief Executive Dean Minchington says it’s an essential guide to discovering what’s possible and getting a career underway.

“The sectors we serve hold a huge range of possibilities for many young New Zealanders, including secondary school students considering what to do with their life. While university and polytechnic work for some people, for those people who excel at learning by doing, our sectors offer the chance to train

| A ServiceIQ release  ||  November 3,  2017   |||

3 Nov - The acquisition includes Convene in Auckland, Convene South in Christchurch, Convene Q in Brisbane and the Pacific Area Incentives and Conferences Expo (PAICE). It also covers Convene South East Region (SER), due for launch in 2019.  ProMag Publishing director Stu Freeman says the sale to Convene Group headed by Eastaugh ensures the future of the expo series will be delivered with continued vision and integrity.

“Ally has been with ProMag for over four years and during that time has successfully launched Convene South and Convene Q as well as building on the strengths of the existing shows – PAICE and Convene,’ said Freeman.

The change of ownership officially takes effect on November 17.

“This latest move will allow the events to grow and develop in the future,” said Eastaugh.

“Our first priority is our stakeholders, exhibitors, visitors and suppliers, to discuss new opportunities and ways forward, together.

“Convene Group looks forward to retaining a valuable working relationship with ProMag in the marketplace. There will remain a strong synergy between the two separate companies.”

| A CIM release  ||  November 3,  2017   |||

3 Nov -  Driver training in the North received a boost when Fonterra officially handed over a decommissioned milk tanker to NorthTec’s commercial transport department.  The tanker was blessed at a special ceremony held at the Future Trades Centre in Dyer Street, Whangarei.  NorthTec kaumātua, Hohepa Rudolph, welcomed officials from Fonterra, NorthTec, other stakeholders and students, and performed the blessing of the new “waka”, naming it Uruao. The name means “tail of the scorpion” and refers to one of the first great ocean-going waka, built for the earliest migrations to New Zealand.

In return, NorthTec Chief Executive, Mark Ewen, presented Barry McColl, Fonterra’s National Transport and Logistics Manager, with a carved wooden paddle.

Mark Ewen said: “We are concentrating on outcomes for our stakeholders and making sure we deliver on those outcomes. It isn’t always easy for us to have the right resources to deliver for all our stakeholders, but now we have a truck and trailer for the next three years.

“It is a very generous investment in us – it’s an investment because we need to be producing more drivers from our region and employing more drivers in our region. It’s an investment in us to deliver fully trained drivers back to the industry for the next three years and beyond.”

Barry McColl said: “We’re really proud to be able to support initiatives that help develop communities and give back to the regions where we operate. These are the communities that our farmers and our people are part of, so being able to help out with resources that bring new opportunities is important to us.

“Here in Northland there are lots of young people who are seeking employment, and we hope this truck gives them a tool that they can use to gain experience and a springboard into a new career.”

Darrin Rhodes, Fonterra’s Regional Transport Training Manager for the North Island, said the company had often discussed the shortage of drivers in the industry, and decided to work with polytechnics to address the issue, providing the trucks to enable driver training. He presented Mark Ewen with a model of the milk tanker and trailer unit, in acknowledgement of the new partnership.

The tanker, which is now on long-term loan to NorthTec, will be used for training for students earning their Class 4 and Class 5 Truck Licences. It can also be used for completing driver competency tests and assessments, and other training opportunities like safety inspections, mechanical inspections and truck safety days.

The tanker handover was initiated by Keith McGuire, Regional Executive for the Road Transport Association NZ (RTANZ), and came about through discussions with Barry McColl and NorthTec’s commercial transport department. Uruao is the third tanker and trailer unit loaned by Fonterra to tertiary institutes in New Zealand.

|  A Northtech release  ||  november 3,  2017   |||

3 Nov - More than $100bn of infrastructure works are planned but country doesn’t have enough local workers to fill the gap.  New Zealand has launched a campaign to lure thousands of UK construction workers away from their wintry building sites to deliver the country’s biggest ever infrastructure and housing program.  An estimated 65,000 new construction workers will be needed over the next five years to meet demand, forcing the industry to work with the government to create what is the largest ever recruitment drive for UK workers.

The recent downturn in British construction activity had created an ideal employment environment to attract potential migrants, said Greg Edmonds, Auckland Transport’s chief infrastructure officer, as Brexit’s uncertainties continues to take their toll.

A package created by a recruitment consortium, called LookSee Build NZ, offers “experiences”, including fishing, surfing and cultural events, to entice construction professionals. Interested and qualified candidates would then be matched with appropriate employers.

The new Labour-led government wants to spend NZ$2bn (£1bn) building 100,000 new homes over the next 10 years as part of its election promise to improve housing affordability. There are also massive infrastructure works planned during that time, which the industry says will cost about $125bn. However, there aren’t enough local workers to make it happen.

The government forecasts New Zealand’s construction needs will reach a peak in 2020. But despite 11,000 apprentices learning the trades, the industry training organisation says New Zealand still needs many more to meet demand and replace those who retire or leave.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is introducing a scheme that would fast track 1,000 to 1500 visas to specifically attract construction workers from abroad.

Craig West of engineering company Downer, which is part of the LookSee group, said the need for top talent was acute. “Our construction sector is very competitive and this kind of inter-industry cooperation has never happened before but the need for staff requires us to take an all-of-industry approach.”

Aaron Muir, a LookSee Build NZ spokesman and construction consultant, said he did not think the free experiences such as fishing and surfing would by themselves persuade people to make the move. “What it will do is give them a genuine taste of the lifestyle that is on offer in New Zealand,” he said.

The recruitment schemes come as the Labour party also promises to cut net migration to New Zealand by between 20,000 and 30,000 people.

|  A TheGuardian release  ||  November 3,  2017   |||

3 Nov -  'Now is a great time to get involved with forestry, there are many upcoming challenges that require skilled young grads...'  Luke Holmes studying towards a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Forest Engineering.  Having spent most of his life growing up on a sheep farm, Luke knew that his future career had to involve work in the outdoors. His specific interest centred on harvesting and land development, which led him to Forest Engineering studies.

‘I aim to work within the New Zealand forest sector and be a part of the transition to safer and more productive harvest methods,’ he says.

With a Young Farmers Scholarship from high school and a UC Undergraduate Entrance Scholarship, Luke found it an easy decision to choose UC for his Forest Engineering degree.

‘I was aware that the Engineering department at UC was held in high regard both here and abroad, and thought this would provide the greatest opportunity to be taught by some of the best. When I discovered that Canterbury offered the only undergraduate Forestry programme in Australasia it was hard to look anywhere else.’

The courses in his degree were based on skills he will use in the industry, such as forest monitoring, project management, equipment training and geospatial mapping.

‘I found Forestry Engineering had a good professional and practical balance, and was a degree which would give me the skills to make a valuable contribution to NZ’s growth and environment,’ he says.

‘Although the first couple of years consist of mainly core skills subjects the ability to later specialise in courses that directly relate to the commercial forest industry was a large attraction for me. I really enjoy the small class size that the forestry side of the degree offers as well as the passion and openness of staff towards students, this makes an awesome learning environment.’

One particular favourite aspect was the practical component of his study, with internship placements during the summer. His grades and contributions were recognised with a Forestry Industry Engineering Associate (FIEA) Scholarship.

‘This provided the opportunity to get directly involved in the industry while studying,’ he says. ‘I worked in a logging crew and for a forest management company during my degree and this gave me the opportunity to directly relate things learnt at UC to the field.’

The experience has shown Luke just how enjoyable his career will be once he graduates, especially with more opportunities to get out of the office and into the environment.

‘If you are after a career which combines a professional approach with an outdoors lifestyle as well as plenty of opportunity for development and progression then look no further. The first years of an Engineering degree are tough but definitely worth it.’

After graduating and gaining more experience in the industry, Luke plans to eventually take his career global and work in other countries, such as Canada.

‘Now is a great time to get involved with forestry, there are many upcoming challenges that require skilled young grads, so job demand availability is high,’ he says. ‘Practical work is a great part of the degree and I would strongly encourage anyone considering this degree to get involved as soon as possible.’

| A UOC release  ||  November 3,  2017   |||

Nestlé has today set a goal to source only eggs from cage-free hens for all its food products globally by 2025. This includes all shell eggs and egg products directly sourced as ingredients by Nestlé.

In Europe and the U.S., Nestlé will make the transition by the end of 2020. For the rest of the Americas, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania it will happen by 2025, with the move in Asia to be completed in the same transition period, as conditions allow.

In some parts of the world, such as in Europe, over 40% of eggs used by Nestlé are already from cage-free sources.

Nestlé’s purpose is to enhance quality of life and contribute to a healthier future. This includes ensuring decent welfare standards for animals that are reared for the ingredients used in its products.

| A Nestlé release  ||  November 3,  2017   |||

3 Nov - In October, the internationally operating logistics company Logwin invested a one third stake in Supply Chain International Ltd (SCI). SCI was established at the beginning of 2017 as a subsidiary of the Auckland-based Supply Chain Solutions (NZ) Ltd (SCS). The subsidiary is being managed by another stakeholder, Peter Furlong, who has 30 years experience in international air and sea freight.

This investment by Logwin gives it entry into another attractive market with the deal also reinforcing its regional position in the Oceania region. In neighbouring Australia, whose economy is closely linked with New Zealand’s, the provider of logistics services has 5 branches and has been active there for more than 25 years. SCS is one of the leading providers of contract logistics and distribution services in New Zealand. Via the SCI subsidiary, customers will now also be linked to Logwin’s international network. Logwin is therefore continuing to expand its presence and with its global air and sea freight, it guarantees customers quick transport times and high-quality local services.

| A Logwin release  ||  November 3,  2017   |||

The New Zealand Bankers Association announced today that the China Construction Bank (New Zealand) Ltd has joined the association, bringing the total number of member banks to 17.

New Zealand Bankers Association chief executive Karen Scott-Howman says: We are delighted to welcome CCBNZ to the Bankers Association. China is one of New Zealands most important trading partners. Having Chinese banks here helps support this trading relationship.

CCBNZs participation in the New Zealand banking industry promotes further competition and diversity in our banking sector, says Scott-Howman.

China Construction Bank (New Zealand) chief executive Jun Qi says: CCB is one of the largest global banks by market capitalisation and total assets. It operates in 30 countries. Since our inception, CCBNZ has aspired to be the first-call Chinese bank in New Zealand. We can leverage our extensive CCB network in China and worldwide.

CCBNZ offers its customers a range of financial services, with an active focus on supporting economic cooperation and trade between New Zealand and China.

As the voice of the banking industry, the New Zealand Bankers Association supports a strong and stable banking system that benefits New Zealand. Member banks work together on a range of non-competitive industry issues.

Other New Zealand Bankers Association members are ANZ New Zealand, ASB Bank, Bank of China, Bank of New Zealand, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Citibank, The Co-operative Bank, Heartland Bank, Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Kiwibank, Rabobank New Zealand, SBS Bank, TSB Bank, and Westpac New Zealand.

| An Emirates Neews Agency release  ||  November 3,  2017   |||