In Aotearoa, the construction industry delivers the homes, schools, hospitals, and other structures that make the lives of our people better. Awesome buildings happen when people are inspired to do great things. This outcome doesn't happen by chance and relies heavily on effective leadership. To have highly skilled tradespeople, we must invest in them: to have effective leaders in construction, we must do the same.
As BCITO’s GM Education & Stakeholder Engagement, I developed the BETA programme for construction apprentices in 2007 with the clear objective of building leadership capability across the construction sector. Today’s apprentices are tomorrow’s employers and leaders. Investment in helping each person achieve their potential through Outward Bound is an investment in the future of the industry and Aotearoa. One of the great appeals of Outward Bound Professional to the construction industry is the practical approach to learning and the importance of team achievement at Anakiwa. They return from OB and know how to hit the ground running. The construction organisations behind the BETA initiative invest in the programme because we know it makes a difference. The value of the programme is clear. Every year I receive multiple emails and letters from grateful employers and apprentices who have benefited from attending a BETA course. Through these testimonies, I know that Outward Bound makes a huge difference to attendees, their whānau, employers, and teams. Thirteen years on and I take real pride in knowing the initiative has contributed greatly to the leadership and people skills that more than 360 people bring to construction or wherever they have ended up.
Hamish Ward - back row, third from the right.
He still works for Leighs Construction, these days as a Site Manager on large scale commercial projects; the company who sponsored his leave to go to Outward Bound - something he says “demonstrates the sort of employer I work for”.
Hamish says he was challenged both physically and mentally at Outward Bound, but the time away was a really good opportunity to look at his career as a whole, where he had come from and what he’d like a successful career to look like going forward. “Physically the biggest challenge was kayaking, as I'm not particularly fond of being stuck underwater! However, I sailed a lot as a child and had not done it in years – I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed the crew aspect of sailing. Mentally, I found it difficult sometimes working with all different sorts of people at different stages of their lives and careers. It gave me a bit of a wake-up call as to how I was treating some people and taught to be more inclusive going forward.” Hamish says at Outward Bound he also learned how to manage his time better and to plan in more depth, especially with days that see him managing 50 to 100 people onsite. “I have to make sure each team has the right information, tools, equipment and material to do their jobs successfully. By doing the in-depth planning, it means I’m doing a lot less ‘putting out fires’ and a lot more checking quality, which means each phase of the build progresses well and we're not going back to fix things. I can turn my phone off at a sensible time and get a good work-life balance. Outward Bound made me realise that I was using time as a gauge of performance – which it isn’t.” Leighs Construction managing director Anthony Leighs says since joining the company, Hamish has been on a “tremendous journey” – from newcomer and then apprentice to a Future Leaders programme and now Site Manager on an important government project.
For young apprentices and their employers, Hamish recommends Outward Bound as a place that promotes versatility, resilience, and teamwork.
"For any tradespeople I would look at going on an Outward Bound course. It takes you out of your usual comfort zone and forces you to adapt to challenging situations which develop skills vital to success in the construction industry. It also makes people think about their place within the industry and their professional behaviour, and how they can improve on their performance."
Two years ago, Hamish and his wife chose to move out of the city and into a rural community in Amberley. They live on a 16 acre lifestyle block, a place they decided would be a more suitable environment in which to start a family. “My time at Outward Bound also gave me the opportunity to look at living a bit more sustainably and be part of something bigger than just ourselves. Living in Amberley does this. I ‘give back’, volunteering in the local fire brigade. And I love being close to mountains and the ocean. I have a great work life balance.”
Gareth attended Outward Bound as part of a prize package for winning the regional building Apprentice of the Year title in 2010. While he is not currently working in the construction industry, Gareth’s skills are put to good use in his current role as Senior Health and Safety Advisor with Wellington City Council.
“The transferable skills that have carried into future jobs include working in a diverse team environment, understanding the importance of customer service, connecting to processes like safety and quality to ensure the product or service delivered is of the appropriate standard. “These skills are just as important to me in my current role, where my focus is on supporting teams that interact with contractors and suppliers to ensure safe and healthy work environments within construction or infrastructure projects." “Learning to lead through the mahi of others” was a key learning Gareth took away from his time at Outward Bound. “I am naturally confident and happy to put my hand up to get stuck into tasks as required. After a few activities, we did a reflection exercise where we provided feedback to each member of the group around their leadership style.
While Gareth says Outward Bound influenced his career pathway, helping him to refine and develop his leadership skills, the course also helped him in his personal life. “Outward Bound taught me how to align my priorities to get most out of life. I set some significant life goals while I was in Anakiwa, some of which I've achieved and others are still 20 years away. Some were ‘standard’ like purchasing my first home, travelling, getting married and further study, all of which have eventuated, but I still have a few big goals to reach. I seem to recall making an outrageous suggestion that I would lead the country at some point – we will see how that pans out....!”
Gareth is active in his local community, particularly with hockey and says he is enjoying seeing people in the sporting community getting active again after lockdown. Outside of building up his local hockey club, Gareth is in the early stages of developing his governance career, currently involved in the resurgence of the Wellington Hockey Association. “I’d most definitely recommend Outward Bound to others. It’s the perfect setting at any stage of life to either hit reset or help those looking to gear up for a new challenge. A lot can be gained from time away from the normal stressors, and with like-minded people in a supportive environment interested in personal development. It was a place where I felt comfortable to truly dream big in life.”
Gareth Jeune - pictured back row, far right with Rutherford 561
