Steelmen host Workchoice Day schools
Playing their part in the nationwide Workchoice Day on May 16, members of Steel Construction New Zealand Inc., (SCNZ)
hosted year 12 students from various schools and gave them some insight into career opportunities.
At Glenbrooke, New Zealand Steel showed how its 1,200 employees produce some 600,000 tonnes of steel slabs annually. At
Fletcher Easysteel, boys from Auckland Grammar talked to the people who import steel from abroad, then cut and
distribute it to fabricators.
Auckland Steel took two groups, one from Wesley College and one from Auckland Seventh Day Adventist school, on guided
tours that started with the company’s induction video and moved from steel detailing and estimating right through the
purpose-built workshop where fabrication was in full swing.
The Managing Director, Tim Watkins, conducted the tour, talking about the fabrication processes and the numerous
projects on which his 100-strong workforce is engaged. “Job satisfaction counts for a great deal in our industry. We
erect what we fabricate; whatever we build, makes a shadow. My advice to young people thinking about joining our
industry is: be the best you possibly can at whatever you decide to do, and always look to move up.”
SCNZ produced a ‘Careers in Steel’ booklet as part of its drive to spread awareness of the opportunities and rewards
typical of the modern steel construction industry in New Zealand today. The booklet will be sent to all secondary and
intermediate schools and contains company profiles and contact information.
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