MEDIA RELEASE
November 2010
WelTec student wins supreme building award
Working hard pays off, says WelTec Student Sam Taylor. The first year Quantity Surveying Student recently won the
Supreme Student Award and the Most Promising First Year Student Award (Central North Island) from the Building Officials
Institute of NZ (BOINZ) for outstanding student accomplishment.
Sam wasn’t aware he had been nominated for the award, but was pleased to find out his hard work through the year had
paid off. “I was surprised, and pretty delighted. I knew I had worked hard, but this was the icing on the cake. It's
rewarding enough studying something I enjoy, but to know you are doing well against yours peers overall is great to find
out.”
WelTec’s School of Built Environment is well-known and well supported by the New Zealand Quantity Surveying industry to
deliver a two year Diploma in Quantity Surveying. The partnership between training and the workplace was recently
strengthened with the launch of the Quantity Surveying Mentoring Scheme, pairing WelTec students with registered
Quantity Surveyors.
Sam enrolled at WelTec looking for a new direction early 2010. Like many young kiwis, Sam had completed a university
degree and travelled overseas, but on his return was looking for a change of career. “I had always been interested in
Construction and after doing a bit of research found out about Quantity Surveyors and the demand for it in New Zealand.”
Sam’s research paid off, “I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s different to my previous study; I can really see the practical
application of what we’re learning. You’re got a lot more contact with your tutors, both in and outside of class they
really make time for us. ”
Fast tracking his studies with a summer school paper, Sam is looking forward to completing a Diploma in Quantity
Surveying and going on to work in the industry, with the nice addition of two industry awards to his CV.
ends