Items filtered by date: Tuesday, 02 December 2014

Catch the action here on the BCITO's Big Construction Tour

Now in its second year, the nationwide tour run by the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation, introduces students to the ever-increasing opportunities available in the building and construction industry.

Right now, individual tours are hitting the road in more than 14 New Zealand cities and towns allowing students from 127 schools to visit worksites and premises, showcasing some of the country’s biggest construction sites and highlighting why a career in construction is a fantastic option.

The Tour is a wonderful opportunity to introduce future apprentices to those doing exciting and innovative work in the industry today, says BCITO Chief Executive Warwick Quinn.It also has a wider significance as the Tour is a key part of BCITO’s strategy to support the Government’s goal of meeting the growing demand for apprentices, which was highlighted in the 2016 Budget, he says.

“Our country needs more young people to learn the skills and attributes that are in such high demand. School leavers who decide they want to start an apprenticeship can be confident they won’t struggle to get work, there are so many great opportunities,” he says.

“We want to offer students a real experience of the construction industry and encourage them to consider the wide range of opportunities a career in the trades could offer them.”

Individual tours are happening in Auckland, Hamilton, Cambridge, Tauranga, Rotorua, Gisborne, Hastings, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill.

The Big Construction Tour will take students through a number of key sites in their respective locations to showcase the innovation taking place in the construction industry and to introduce them to some of the 15 trades that BCITO offers, says Quinn.

“They will be able to hear what a ‘day in the life of a tradie’ is like, first-hand, from apprentices working on site. It will also provide an opportunity for students to connect with industry leaders who may be their future employers.”

You can check out all of the day’s action here or on any of BCITO’s channels.

It was always a dream of Simon Ganley's to get his hands on a Daimler E20

Massey Ventures Limited has been awarded close to one million dollars to kick-start the development of commercial projects and companies.

Massey Ventures will receive $927,692 over three years from the government’s PreSeed Accelerator Fund. Massey Ventures will match the funding and allocate more than $1.8 million to Massey staff or student projects that have the potential to attract investor interest in research from the technology fields, such as veterinary technology, food technology, fundamental science and engineering.

Chief executive of Massey Ventures Limited Mark Cleaver will lead the management of PreSeed funding.

“The fund will be allocated to projects and technologies that have the potential for commercialisation and acts as a helping hand until a start-up company is established or a license deal is negotiated. Over the past three years the University has grown its commercialisation activity and this funding will encourage higher levels of activity and in time, greater benefits,” he says.

Massey will fund a minimum of 21 projects from initiation to commercialisation. PreSeed funded projects require 50 per cent co-funding from other sources, which will be drawn from Massey Ventures’ reserves and from industry partners.

Stage one projects will receive up to $30,000 for proof-of-concept development, market validation, intellectual property novelty and patentability searches. Stage two projects will receive between $30,000 and $60,000 for technology development, including prototyping and data collection, market engagement, and intellectual property protection, and strategy advice. Stage three projects will receive over $60,000 for technology refinement, intellectual property protection and deal negotiation.

Massey University has previously received $634,250 from the fund between 2010 and 2015. These funds supported commercialisation of 13 projects, with six projects resulting in intellectual property licenses to external parties, including four going to spin-out companies.

The four spin-out companies remain based in New Zealand and have raised a total of $4.2m from private investors and employ 16 highly trained staff.

Lifeonics Smart Measuring Optical Device.Spin-out comapnies

The four spin-out companies remain based in New Zealand and have raised a total of $4.2m from private investors and employ 16 highly trained staff.

One of the spin-out companies is Lifeonics limited, who works internationally developing smart sensors to monitor analytical challenges, such as the development of the Smart Measuring Optical Device (SMOD). The device takes away the need for researchers to spend long hours of manual monitoring and sampling of cultures and allows real time monitoring of the progress of a culture’s growth, monitoring of anaerobic cultures and early culture failure diagnosis.

Staff and students who have an idea that may have commercial potential may be eligible to receive the PreSeed Accelerator Funding. A total of $250,000 per project is available. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more details.

The Pre-Seed Accelerator fund is managed by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

Direct Couriers are pleased to announce the purchase of AutoSmart Couriers in Adelaide on the 1st July, 2016. AutoSmart are a leading courier provider to the automotive industry in South Australia and we are very please to welcome all staff, drivers and customers to the Direct Couriers family.

We hope this merger will provide all of AutoSmarts customers with an enhanced service offering, greater technology solutions and continued great customer service that they have known to expect.

The new acquisition re-enforces Direct Couriers commitment to the Adelaide market as we continue to grow and expand the business in Adelaide and all other states around the country.

Direct Couriers operates in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Auckland New Zealand. We employ more than 130 office staff with a fleet of over 650 vehicles. Operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, Direct Couriers has the services and technology solutions for all your urgent transport needs. Call us on 131610 for more information.

Wellington, NZ - 7 July 2016 - New Zealand’s best and brightest mathematical scientists are combining their power to solve significant business and industry challenges at New Zealand’s second annual Mathematics-in-Industry NZ event this week at Victoria University, Wellington.

New Zealand’s second annual Mathematics-in-Industry NZ event

Successfully implemented in more than 20 countries worldwide, Mathematics-in-Industry intensive week-long workshops offer a collaborative environment for mathematicians across the country to solve problems arising in industry. Scientists participate from a range of mathematical disciplines such as dynamical systems, statistics, and operational research.

New Zealand businesses offering up industry challenges for the 2016 Mathematics-in-Industry New Zealand (MINZ) event include:

NZ Steel – Improving how the steel finishing rolling through modellingCompac – Estimating the weight of a moving article across multiple weigh pointsTranspower – Understanding how home solar electrical generation affects the national gridFonterra – Predicting the length of time milk powders can be stored in elevated temperatures and humiditiesZespri – Predicting fruit quality in the supply chain from harvest to market.

This year a new dimension has been added with representatives from Japan’s Institute of Mathematics for Industry attending the MINZ event. New Zealand mathematicians will also join Japan’s study week later in July. The exchange has been made possible due to funding from the NZ Royal Society and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. A challenge from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology is also included in the New Zealand event.

The New Zealand event is championed by Professor Emeritus Graeme Wake of Mathematics-in-Industry New Zealand (MINZ). Professor Wake has been involved in the concept since his time as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Oxford where it was first launched in 1968. Professor Wake is passionate about the impact of applied mathematics noting, “These events are often the launch pad for long term partnerships between mathematicians and businesses, powering up innovation within industry.”

The event was opened by Hon. Steven Joyce and PVC Science VUW Mike Wilson, and speakers include Professor Andrew Fowler from Limerick/Oxford Universities, Dr Mary Quin CEO of Callaghan Innovation, and Japanese Ambassador Toshihisa Takata.

Zespri, new to MIINZ in 2016 has really seen the power of presenting a challenge to the mathematics community. Zepsri’s New Varieties Technical Manager, John White comments, “We saw a real opportunity to use the combined skills of the MINZ event to materially improve an important part of our inventory management process, reducing quality costs and so give real improvements in returns to growers. It has been fascinating to watch a previously unconnected group enthusiastically seek to understand our data and look for ways from it to improve our understandings and what we do.”

New Zealand mathematicians and businesses have previously taken part in joint events run by the Australia and New Zealand Industrial Applied Mathematics (ANZIAM). Professor Wake comments, “Kiwi businesses have previously had to travel across the Tasman to participate in these events, but now we are running this event right in our back yard.”

This year’s MINZ initiative is supported by the Centre for Mathematics-in-Industry in Massey University, ANZIAM (A/NZ Industrial and Applied Mathematics Group), KiwiNet (a consortium of 16 universities, Crown Research Institutes and a Crown Entity established to boost commercial outcomes from publicly funded research), New Zealand Mathematical Society and Victoria University.

Seumas McCroskery, Innovation Manager of the Kiwi Innovation Network (KiwiNet) believes the model is highly compelling. He says, “New Zealand has world leading mathematics capability in Universities and Crown Research Entities who are eager to work with industry and solve problems. It’s great to see mathematicians from across NZ working together to provide this inventive approach to drive business innovation.”

More than 100 mathematicians, a number of whom are postgraduate students are participating in the event. A summary and technical report will be prepared with aim of future publication in the ANZIAM Journal Series E.

“Mathematics-in-Industry is an initiative to solve industry challenges. It enables businesses to focus on operations and lets mathematicians focus on what they do best – solve industry problems,” says Professor Wake.

Auckland, New Zealand. 7th July 2016 – Serko Ltd. (SKO.NZ) announced that its new small business travel management application, serko.travel, will launch on 25th July 2016, in conjunction with Xero, the leader in online accountancy software.

The application is targeted at businesses in New Zealand and Australia with less than 150 employees, will drive significant productivity gains and unlock meaningful cost savings for businesses by streamlining every aspect of business travel. The application, which is free to use, is a simplified version of the same well-established platform used by large corporations across Australia and New Zealand.

Serko.travel will give businesses the ability to search, book and manage complete business trips involving multiple suppliers via mobile or desktop. The application allows travellers to manage their trips on-the-go, while the desktop application also provides a portal for office managers and decision makers to manage rules, approve trips or make bookings on behalf of other people in the organisation.

Importantly, by providing small business employers with end-to-end visibility of their employees travel plans, serko.travel also assists companies comply with the duty of care legislation in both New Zealand and Australia.

Unlike any other online travel booking system before, the online functionality of serko.travel will be complemented by expert offline support from Helloworld for Business, Corporate Traveller and Flight Centre Business Travel. For the first time, they will offer Travel Expert services on an ‘on demand’ basis which means travellers only have to pay if and when they need their services.

Darrin Grafton, Serko CEO, understands the challenges that small to medium businesses face when it comes to booking and managing business travel, and not only wants to give them access to the same technology and travel deals, but also the same customer service as their larger counterparts.

“If you have a problem when you’re away on business you really need to be able to speak to someone that knows what they’re talking about, and the services of Helloworld for Business and Flight Centre will be an important asset in ensuring serko.travel customers can book and manage their travel in the most efficient way possible.

“The support from Flight Centre and Helloworld for Business will complement partnerships with some of the biggest travel brands in the region, including Expedia, Wotif, Booking.com, Qantas, Air New Zealand, Virgin Australia, Jetstar and AVIS who provide all of the content” Darrin said.

Research undertaken by TNS Research in New Zealand confirmed that 46% of the one million+ SMEs in NZ and Australia travel regularly for work. These SME’s book an average of 30 trips per year, with approximately six hours of an owner operator or employee’s time being spent on booking and managing each travel itinerary.

The research highlights that there are two main booking methods used by SME’s today. Approximately 33% of SMEs regularly book via a travel agent and 66% book directly on supplier or aggregator websites, which tends to be a time consuming and inefficient process, considering that between 25% and 40% of business trips change at least once.

Business in NZ and AU can register their interest at www.serko.travel now.

serko.travel will also launch in other global markets such as the USA.

Auckland, New Zealand. 7th July 2016 – Serko Ltd. (SKO.NZ) announced that its new small business travel management application, serko.travel, will launch on 25th July 2016, in conjunction with Xero, the leader in online accountancy software.

The application is targeted at businesses in New Zealand and Australia with less than 150 employees, will drive significant productivity gains and unlock meaningful cost savings for businesses by streamlining every aspect of business travel. The application, which is free to use, is a simplified version of the same well-established platform used by large corporations across Australia and New Zealand.

Serko.travel will give businesses the ability to search, book and manage complete business trips involving multiple suppliers via mobile or desktop. The application allows travellers to manage their trips on-the-go, while the desktop application also provides a portal for office managers and decision makers to manage rules, approve trips or make bookings on behalf of other people in the organisation.

Importantly, by providing small business employers with end-to-end visibility of their employees travel plans, serko.travel also assists companies comply with the duty of care legislation in both New Zealand and Australia.

Unlike any other online travel booking system before, the online functionality of serko.travel will be complemented by expert offline support from Helloworld for Business, Corporate Traveller and Flight Centre Business Travel. For the first time, they will offer Travel Expert services on an ‘on demand’ basis which means travellers only have to pay if and when they need their services.

Darrin Grafton, Serko CEO, understands the challenges that small to medium businesses face when it comes to booking and managing business travel, and not only wants to give them access to the same technology and travel deals, but also the same customer service as their larger counterparts.

“If you have a problem when you’re away on business you really need to be able to speak to someone that knows what they’re talking about, and the services of Helloworld for Business and Flight Centre will be an important asset in ensuring serko.travel customers can book and manage their travel in the most efficient way possible.

“The support from Flight Centre and Helloworld for Business will complement partnerships with some of the biggest travel brands in the region, including Expedia, Wotif, Booking.com, Qantas, Air New Zealand, Virgin Australia, Jetstar and AVIS who provide all of the content” Darrin said.

Research undertaken by TNS Research in New Zealand confirmed that 46% of the one million+ SMEs in NZ and Australia travel regularly for work. These SME’s book an average of 30 trips per year, with approximately six hours of an owner operator or employee’s time being spent on booking and managing each travel itinerary.

The research highlights that there are two main booking methods used by SME’s today. Approximately 33% of SMEs regularly book via a travel agent and 66% book directly on supplier or aggregator websites, which tends to be a time consuming and inefficient process, considering that between 25% and 40% of business trips change at least once.

Business in NZ and AU can register their interest at www.serko.travel now.

serko.travel will also launch in other global markets such as the USA.

Thursday 7 July - Legendary businessman and motorsport aficionado Tony Quinn will be joined by a number of New Zealand motor sport legends at the annual CHEMZ Gathering of Geezers Charitable dinner held Wednesday 9 November 2016 at Wanaka’s Warbirds & Wheels museum.

Celebrating the exceptional careers of Kiwi motorsport legends here and overseas, the ‘Geezers’ event brings New Zealand motorsport heroes together with motoring enthusiasts for an evening of fun, story-telling and reminiscing.

Highlands and Hampton Downs owner Tony Quinn will be this year’s keynote speaker at the event which is now in its fourth year. Quinn will talk about his love of motorsport, what brought him to the industry, why he loves the sport so much and other tales from his soon-to-be-launched book Zero to 60.

Once again hosted by Sky Speeds’ Stephen McIvor first time ‘Geezers’ include Andy McElrea, Garry Running, Andy Buchanan and Steve Horne.

In a gentle nod to the ‘not-quite-retired’, this year sees the addition of “Geezers In Training” Craig Baird and Greg Murphy, as well as Guest Geezer, Australia’s Garry Rogers.

Making his Geezers debut last year Australian and NZ Championship winner Jim Richards will return adding to the impressive line-up of legends who will grace the stage.

Joining the first time Geezers are returning inductees Graeme Crosby, Chris Munro, Aaron Slight, Bob McMurray, PG Knight, Leo Leonard, Heather Spurle, Shane Drake, Tony Teesdale, Graeme Lawrence, Owen Evans and Paul Fahey.

More Geezers will be announced in the coming weeks and months. A Geezer is a retired legend of motorsport who has won a major NZ title, its equivalent, or a world title across any discipline, from single seaters and rally to saloon, race boats, drag racing, speedway and bikes or someone who has made an outstanding contribution to NZ Motorsport in another arena such as administration or media.

The event format is a three course banquet dinner including beverages with corporate tables available and individual tickets. Each corporate table is ‘hosted’ by a Geezer and throughout the evening ‘café-style’ Q+A sessions will be led by MC Stephen McIvor delving deep into the lives and careers of some of the Geezers, exploring the triumphs, lows, close calls and adrenalin-fueled moments.

Warbirds Over Wanaka Community Trust and the Upper Clutha Children’s Medical Trust, two of Wanaka’s most loved Trusts, are once again set to benefit from the charity auction.

Another highlight of the event, with some big ticket items auctioned, last year’s Gathering of Geezers Charitable dinner raised just under $20,000 for the Trusts.

This year’s auction promises to be just as popular with items such as helicopter flights, $10,000 NZME Radio advertising package, Warbirds Over Wanaka corporate tickets, two nights at the stunning Punaikaki Resort on the West Coast and some sought-after racing memorabilia already confirmed.

Warbirds & Wheels director Robert Duncan said the event had “grown year after year” and was becoming a “well-known event on the NZ motorsport calendar”.

“We’ve managed to grow yet again with more tickets sold every year than the previous one, plus a constant stream of exceptional Geezers to invite,” said Mr Duncan.

“Word has started to spread that this is one of the best dinner events in the country for motor sport, attracting a huge interest from those who’ve made their mark on the industry.”

“We’ve worked on different ideas this year to enable us to hear from more Geezers in a format that is sure to yield some hilarious tales. Our MC Stephen McIvor stepped things up a notch last year and we’re looking forward to what he’ll bring to the table this year,” added Mr Duncan

A Warbirds & Wheels press release

Each year the selected Geezers are given a certificate and commemorative shirt inducting them into the Geezers Hall of Fame.

NZMEA, Wednesday 6 July 2016 - There is an obvious disconnect between our education system, both secondary and tertiary, and what industry needs to grow our economy and prosper. Manufacturers and other sectors are increasingly struggling to find the skilled staff they need to grow, say the New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association (NZMEA).

NZMEA Chief Executive Dieter Adam says, "The availability of skilled people coming out of our education system is an issue that manufacturers have identified for some time, and there have been comments recently of other sectors feeling the same.

"The shortages we often hear about are among the ‘skilled practitioner' level and highly skilled trades workers (NZQF levels 5 and 6), be that a technically skilled team leader in a manufacturing operation or a hotel manager in the tourism sector. Manufacturers are also facing shortages in the area of ‘highly skilled experts’, for example, graduate mechatronics engineers.

"An aggravating factor is the fact that it is exactly these skilled people who are in short supply in many advanced economies - including Germany, for example, as I found in discussions with German manufacturers during a recent visit there. Young New Zealanders with a good technical education are well-regarded internationally and we are increasingly exposed to a global hunt for talent" says Dieter.

"Immigration is a tool in the short term, provided that migrants come with the appropriate skills and levels of practical experience, however, this should not be the long term solution. New Zealand has high rates of numeracy, literacy and problem solving skills when compared to other OECD countries - the key step is helping students gain the additional professional skills being in demand, and making them aware of where opportunities lie.

"The Government has taken excellent initiatives in selected areas, such as the engineering e2e initiative, but beyond its current pursuit of partial solutions the Government needs to undertake a root cause analysis of the underlying problems if it wants to ensure sustainable growth of the New Zealand economy.

"Everybody talks about the need for our economy to move towards value-added products and services, be that in agriculture, tourism or manufacturing. Without enough suitably qualified young people emerging from our education system, that cannot happen, especially with an aging workforce taking skilled workers out of the talent pool and demographic trends reducing the supply of young people entering the workforce.

"The Productivity Commission’s inquiry into new models of tertiary education currently undertaken is a needed step in the right direction. We hope this translates into real change to make our education system more responsive to the needs of industry and where opportunities for well-paid skilled employment exist." says Dieter.