FROM THE GROUND UP
Our apprentice column provides an opportunity for PAC members to share their views, experiences and ideas, while providing insight for builders who employ them. This month’s question is:
Q: If you could change one thing about the building industry, what would it be?
Name: Kane (Just finished)
Location: Wairau Park
I’ve been involved in the building industry in some way for the past ten years, and started my apprenticeship four years ago, so I’ve definitely had some time to think about what could be better.
For me, safety on site is pretty important, so that’s the area I would focus on. It’s definitely come a long way in the past four or five years. Both my dad and stepdad were builders and some of the things they’ve told me about how safety on site used to be (or not be!) are pretty sketchy.
Our company is really great at promoting safety on site, but it can always be better, especially when it comes to public knowledge of being around work sites. We’ve been working on apartments recently and it continues to surprise me how fast people drive by signs that tell them people are working nearby.
Overall, I think the better the access to health and safety information, the easier it is to comply and be safe on site.
Name: Tim (3rd year)
Location: Hamilton
As a former handyman who came into this apprenticeship as an adult, I think there’s probably quite a bit that could be improved, but I do think they’ve been working at it over the years. I really enjoy the industry in general and am very glad that I decided to make the move from handyman to getting certified – I look forward to being officially qualified and being able to say there’s no building job I can’t do!
If I could change one thing about the industry, it would be the consent process. Up front, I’ve found that it’s time consuming and very expensive for my clients, which doesn’t encourage people to build. The fact that councils have different requirements can also be difficult, especially if you’re building transportable homes like our company does.
Overall, there’s room for improvement, but it doesn’t hinder my enjoyment of it. I find it really satisfying to see the finished product, and even being able to physically see what you’ve accomplished in a day is so rewarding.
Name: Matt (4th year)
Location: Auckland
As someone who chose to switch careers at 29, there’s not much I would change about the industry – otherwise, I wouldn’t have started back at zero after doing a degree and working in sports event management.
If I could make any improvement, it would be to build on one that’s already changing in a positive way – the ‘she’ll be right’ attitude. There’s no doubt it’s getting better, but when it comes to safety requirements that some people view as a bit overboard, and there’s no chance of getting caught for not doing them, it seems the temptation is still there. We really need to change the mindset from ‘I need to do this because it’s the law’ to ‘I need to do this because it will keep myself and others safe’.
At the same time, people and projects need to make money, so the best-case scenario in my mind is one where people don’t feel the margin is so small that they are tempted to cut corners.
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