Civil Contractors New Zealand Chief Executive, Peter Silcock, asks us to consider two situations: in the first, Contractor A wins a local government tender to construct a local road or water pipe Charles Fairbairn – Local Government Magazine New Zealand Their bid offers to complete the project at the lowest price by a good 10 per cent. Continue →

Infrastructure bids and tenders are always competitive with national and international construction companies competing for a piece of the pie Compiling a bid submission with the necessary information, supported by documentation and exhibits which are demonstrative of the expertise and capability of the tendering party for a large infrastructure project requires:- Consideration to be given as to whether the tender is suitable and profitable for the company. Continue →

Labour’s commitment to replace the RMA means there is now agreement across the major parties to reform our most contentious piece of legislation, says Infrastructure New Zealand Policy Director Hamish Glenn Regardless of who wins this month’s election, the new Government will move forward with replacing the Resource Management Act (RMA). Continue →

Achieving outcomes has become the great new aspiration of public policy says Infrastructure New Zealand Policy Director Hamish Glenn Outcomes are neither new nor different than things we’ve always wanted – higher incomes, cleaner environment, longer, healthier and more meaningful lives, to name a few. Continue →

When you post job opportunities, some listings are snapped up quickly by eager jobseekers, whereas others can linger for months on end on job-boards To find out which positions take the longest to be filled, Resume.io monitored thousands of job roles available in each industry to determine which jobs take the longest to fill in the UK, and which are the quickest. Continue →

Innovation doesn’t have to suffer when employees go virtual. Done right, it can even improve Leigh Buchanan, Inc. Continue →

Nearly half of construction leaders are differentiating their business on this same strength during the tendering process, according to a recent survey by tender consultancy firm Madrigal Communications Of those surveyed, 21% say they differentiate themselves on quality, 21% on price, 10% on client communications. Continue →

Construction protocols for working under Alert Level 2 and 3 have been updated in light of new COVID-19 restrictions. Continue →

The Covid-19 pandemic will pass, and relatively quickly, but life will never be the same, which may not be such a bad thing Michael Liebreich – BloombergNEF For a time the world will be in recovery mode, and then the time will come when life will once again feel normal. Continue →

An idea that sparked a global rethink of the working life and the future of work is told in a new book published this month   New Zealand company Perpetual Guardian sparked global media fascination with its flexible work model after it successfully trialled and implemented the four-day week, resulting in a 20% lift in employee productivity, a 27% reduction in work stress levels, and a 45% increase in employee work-life balance. Continue →

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ (RICS) quarterly Construction and Infrastructure Surveys continue to show that while construction and infrastructure workloads have increased growth across New Zealand, an acute skill shortage is creating bottlenecks that threaten the viability of the sector New Zealand needs a skilled, sustainable construction workforce to ensure the sector has the people it needs now and into the future, with estimates that the construction industry will need an extra 50,000 workers by 2022. Continue →

A growing number of smaller companies are adopting a four-day workweek. Continue →

Virtual reality technology is being used to boost training and employment opportunities in New Zealand within the construction sector The Ministry of Social Development has partnered with Joy Business Academy (JBA) to develop the Skills for Industry Virtual Reality Training and Employment Tool to improve opportunities for jobseekers and employers in the construction sector, upskilling people any time and anywhere. Continue →

New Zealand is currently under the leadership of a coalition Government with a staunch focus on wellbeing, and business and industry need to understand how this focus changes the way they should assess their bottom line and their general contribution to the domestic economy Treasury’s Living Standards Framework (LSF) encompasses the ‘four capitals’ – natural, human, social, and financial/physical – which affect our wellbeing as a nation and as a citizenry. Continue →

Future business people and construction workers can get a taste of what it’s like to build their own company with the launch of Construction Tycoon, the latest in a series of educational games aimed at growing interest in industries with skills shortages Created by Joy Business Academy, the Tycoon series has the backing of partners including Microsoft, Xero, Ministry of Social Development, Fletcher Building, BDO and Building Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO). Continue →

New Zealand metals-based industry organisation HERA is solidifying its reputation as a future-focused thought leader with the launch of its bi-weekly podcast series, Stirring the Pot   The free podcast launched with three episodes on subjects as diverse as the future of manufacturing in New Zealand, innovation as a driver of the global economy and what’s required to build a thriving metals industry. Continue →

The way we do business has been disrupted; we are now connected everywhere and with everyone, says Regus Country Manager Pierre Ferrandon As employees we can now choose where and when we work, because work is no longer something we do or a place we go but is the overall output that an employee and employer produce. Continue →

An increase in flexible working practices within New Zealand will reduce levels of carbon dioxide by 900,000 tonnes per year by 2030 and add between NZ$16.2 billion and $18.1 billion to the economy These are the findings of an independent economic study commissioned by global workplace provider Regus (one of the IWG group of companies). Continue →

The civil construction industry says the Government’s proposed Reform of Vocational Education has potential to fix longstanding issues with vocational training and education, despite needing careful management and more recognition of on-job training Civil Contractors New Zealand Chief Executive Peter Silcock said while it was clear the vocational education system required major changes to remove duplication and increase efficiency in delivering job skills, the critical issue would be maintaining interest and engagement from employers and trainees while changes were brought in. Continue →