Northland Branch

Recent NZIOB Northland/Northtec Event:

From the left:
Ian Swindells NORTHTEC, Phil Higham NZIOB Northland branch, Mike Lindsay NZIOB northland member and past board member,Karsten Thomsen northland board member. Trevor Griffiths, Adele Stone Northec, Rob Malone northland branch chair

Click here for more photos

Media release:

NZIOB and NorthTec hold career networking meeting for students
NorthTec’s carpentry workshop was buzzing as building industry representatives from the Northern chapter of the New Zealand Institute of Building (NZIOB) networked with 50 of NorthTec’s pre-trade carpentry and electrical students and students on the Diploma in Architectural Technology.
The event was an initiative designed to provide NorthTec students with the opportunity to meet industry contacts and find out how membership of the NZIOB can help them to develop their future careers prospects.

“NorthTec has a longstanding relationship with the NZIOB,” said NorthTec’s Director – Trade and Technology Innovations, Ian Swindells. “This will be the ninth year that the NZIOB has provided annual awards for selected students to recognise excellence in the trades. The institute also provides a subsidised NZIOB membership rate for NorthTec students whose applications for membership are accepted. We are delighted that the NZIOB have provided our students with the opportunity to find out more about working in the industry at an event such as this.” NZIOB Northern Chapter board member and civil engineer Trevor Griffiths said that the institute is committed to its relationship with NorthTec having just signed an agreement to fund the annual NZIOB awards for NorthTec students for a further seven years.
“It’s important that future members of our industry know that the NZIOB is not just for builders, it’s a pan-industry, overarching organisation for all professionals who work in the built environment. We have more than 800 members on our database including key business leaders and the potential future employers of many of those who are here today. We’re delighted to be here so that students can meet industry representatives from a range of businesses in the sector face-to-face.”

Mr Griffiths said that his commitment to encouraging young people to enter the industry stems from a wish to provide the kind of support he received as a teenage embarking on his career. “As I said just now to one of the students here, ‘If you win one of our NZIOB awards and stand out as being the best, one day you could come and run my business’.”

NorthTec is the Tai Tokerau (Northland) region's largest provider of tertiary education, with campuses and learning centres in Whangarei, Kerikeri, Rāwene, Dargaville, Kaikohe and Kaitaia. NorthTec also has over 60 community-based delivery points from Coatesville in rural Rodney to Ngataki in the Far North.

For more information contact: Jacquie Walters, Communications and Media Manager| NorthTec - Tai Tokerau Wānanga|New Zealand ph: +64 9 470 3880 |m: +64 27 269 8999 |e:jwalters@northtec.ac.nz

Recent newspaper articles on our Northland branch:

Northland Branch Committee

Northland 2009 Student Awards Winner

Photos from events in 2009:

Northland Membership Function Photos 30/9/09

Northland Dargville Site Visit Photos 29/10/09

Northland Eden Park Facade Site Visit Photos

Northland Events Planner: 2009/2010

Event	Company	Date	Time	Details
Visit to view the SS Silver Fern RWC 2011	Culham’s Engineering	18^th November 2009	4:30pm	A look at the giant steel Silver Fern structure to be installed on the new grandstand at Eden Park for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Careers NZ Introduction Night	NZIOB	26^th November 2009	TBC	Northtec/Northland rugby union development squad, NZIOB and Career NZ Introduction night
Cocktail Party	NZIOB	3^rd December 2009	4:30pm	End of year function at Killer Prawn, commencing at 4:30pm. Presentation of annual scholarship.
Okara Park Stadium tour	Argon Construction	9^th December 2009	4.30pm	Tour of the Okara Park stadium complex. Approximately 1 hour in duration.
Water-ware Presentation		February 2010	TBC
PSP/JSC Presentation		March 2010	TBC
Cirtex Presentation		April 2010	TBC

Northland Branch Committee

Rob Malone (Northland Chair)

Rob is the General Manager of the Barfoote Group, a locally owned Construction company which offer cost effective, high quality, innovative building solutions which combine its in-house capabilities of precast concrete (Northland Precast Concrete), structural steel (Northland Structural Steel) and construction project management (Barfoote Construction Whangarei Limited). Rob is responsible for the provision of leadership & implementation of both strategic and operational direction and management of the group of companies. Rob joined Barfoote’s in April 2008. He has had extensive experience in senior management roles in the sporting and finance field since 1997 in both Australia and NZ. Rob completed a Bachelor of Commerce at Curtin University (Perth, Western Australia), where he majored in Economics & Finance.

Contact Details: rob.malone@barfoote.com

Trevor Griffiths

Trevor is a Fellow of the NZIOB and an RCM. Trevor has been a member of the NZIOB for over 19 years,he held the office of Northern chapter President, director of membership and has sat on national council for 6 years. He set up the Waikato branch of the NZIOB and Whanagrei and has sat on the board in Whangarei for 7 years. Trevor is director of Griffiths, a project management consultancy practice based in Whanagrei. Trevor is a trained civil engineer and has 33 yrs experience in construction. Born in Liverpool, football [soccer nut] and loves music.

Contact Details: trevor@griffithsandassoc.co.nz Phone: (09) 430 3072

Phil Higham

Karsten Thomsen

Karsten is a Project Manager and has been working for WDC for the last 1½ year. He works predominately on major projects and has also been responsible for developing WDC new Project Management Framework. Karsten joined the NZIOB in 2006 and has a BSc degree in Engineering. He has been working as a contractor in most of his career, 4 ½ year for Whangarei Barfoote Construction and prior to that 8 years for a Danish contractor. Karsten has also worked as a professional badminton coach and coached the NZ national team in 1995. Karsten is also a member of the Project Management Institute.

Rachel Wright

Rebecca Escott (Student Representative)

Rebecca has a Certificate in Display and Advertising and a Diploma in Interior Design. She managed a successful Interior Design business in Whangarei for about 4 yrs, resulting in being offered the job of Designer for the Yellow Team, Whangarei Mitre 10 Dream Home in 2006-7 and temp CAD design for Pat Gavin Kitchens, before relocating to England for 18 months.

In the UK, she worked for BDS Architects, Cambridge UK, part-time as an in-house Interior Designer.

Rebecca is currently completing an Architectural Technology course.