Greg Durkin, BCITO director; Brad Street, The Kitchen Business; David Lafaele; BCITO industry advocate – kitchen and bathroom design.
BCITO has announced the winners of the 2024 Building Leaders Awards, celebrating outstanding BCITO employers in the trades who are helping build the future leaders of tomorrow’s construction sector.
With more than 600 nominations received from BCITO apprentices around the country, these awards recognise employers who have gone above and beyond in empowering and supporting their people.
“We’ve had a huge response from our tradies wanting to acknowledge how their employers have shown amazing dedication to passing on essential trade skills while also helping them achieve their personal goals and grow as people. I want to thank everyone who shared their stories and enabled us to give their mentors the recognition they deserve,” says Greg Durkin, director of BCITO.
The winners were presented with their awards at a gala dinner in Auckland late last year, part of BCITO’s annual Skills Summit on building New Zealand’s trades talent pipeline.
Among the winners was Rex Podmore at Waihi’s Brownmore Concrete. A 25-year concreting veteran, Podmore was nominated by several of his employees, including Todd Maitland, who shared how Podmore supported him as a young man with autism, developmental delay syndrome, verbal dyspraxia and vision impairment.
To help Maitland with his development, Podmore created visual learning tools and customised materials to help him understand the tasks he needed to do. He also allowed Maitland time off to pursue his passion for basketball, as a Bay of Plenty and Tasmanian basketball representative.
Brad Street at The Kitchen Business was nominated by his employee Simon Maiava, who has social anxiety disorder and initially feared it would not be understood. However, Street demonstrated exceptional compassion and created a safe and inclusive environment that allowed Maiava to feel valued and supported.
Fellow winner Brian Burke’s dedication to mentoring was highlighted by the success of his apprentice, Jackson Bell, who recently won the Stage 3 Flooring Apprentice of the Year award. Burke’s unwavering support for Bell both professionally and personally exemplified his commitment to the growth and well-being of his team, bringing on the next generation of passionate flooring specialists.
“It’s vital for the future of both the trades and New Zealand to have leaders who do more than just provide jobs,” says Durkin. “By investing in their people, all our award winners are passing on essential skills to the workforce, shaping the industry’s next generation, and building a strong future for New Zealand.”
Award recipients:
Juan Gasper (Dunedin City Contracting) – Carpentry; Karalee (Stronghold Group) – Commercial construction; Rex Podmore (Brownmore Concrete) – Concrete; Clint Sewell (Swish Decorating) – Painting and decorating; Aaron Quinn (Carters) – Frame and truss; Rodney Heller, Arran Walker and Michael Cooper (Interior Construction ICON) – Interior construction; Ian Hunter (Construction Coatings Ltd) – Resin flooring; Ethan Leggett (Cutting Edge Tiling) – Tiling; Manu Toailoa (Redrock Plaster) – Exterior plastering; Brad Street (The Kitchen Business) – Kitchen and bathroom design; Kaine Harkins (Your Haven Ltd) – Brick and block; Brian Burke (MeasureUp) – Flooring; Richard Steele (Nulook North Window and Doors) – Architectural aluminium joinery; Steve Wynn (Metro Direct) – Glass and glazing; Aaron Whiteman (Aaron Whiteman Monumental Masonry Limited) – Stonemasonry; Sam Burges (Optimal Windows) – Timber joinery.