Can you share a bit about yourself and how you got into the scaffolding industry?
Ko Aotea te waka, Ko Ruapehu te maunga, Ko Whanganui te awa, Ko Atihaunui -a -papaprangi te iwi, Ko Ngati Pamoana te hapu, Ko Otukorpiri (Koriniti) te Marae. Ko Douglas Pokiha ahau.
At 21, I moved to Australia to follow my wife. I met and joined up to play for a local rugby club called Waverley Rugby club in Sydney. While I was looking for work through the club, one of the coaches got me a job as a scaffolder. I began Scaffolding in 1990 doing residential & commercial jobs in the city centre of Sydney. I owe a lot to those in my crew over there, these were guys in their late 40’s and 50’s, who if you were prepared to learn, they took the time to pass on their knowledge, teach what good work ethic was, and coached and mentored those who wanted it. Through their guidance I found my passion for Scaffolding.
I came back home in 2002 and joined a local scaffolding company in Palmerston North. I joined the team as a scaffolder where I worked my way up the ranks to a Team Leader. From there my progression within the company grew. An opportunity arose for change and for a period of 5 years I went through the qualifications to get a carpentry ticket, which gave me better insight for plan reading, and other details, but more importantly, helped with my house extension and being able to do the mahi myself. In 2012, I joined the Scafit family as a contract supervisor, running the Ryman site down in Waikanae. The site was involved with 200 residential houses and 3 commercial areas. Once the job was finished, from there my team and I joined the Wellington branch to help work alongside the Wellington team where I became a supervisor. This was another pivot point in my career at Scafit.
It was from here where Dave Crowley (Managing Director of Scafit) recognised the value of having a Company Trainer within the company, to help obtain the skill level required to be able to achieve the workload. This process wasn’t easy. To become a trainer, I decided to go back to a school-type classroom and achieve my Certificate Level 5 and Level 4 Literacy and Numeracy, which were the two subjects I struggled with at school. To obtain these two certificates, it took me right back to grass roots training, meaning to train someone I needed to get down to their level of teaching style and see how they learned.
Once I obtained the tools needed for my training kete (basket) within the company, I started to prepare and put together the Scafit internal training pathway which guided our staff through their journey in becoming scaffolders. Over a period of months, we put together basic training modules aligning as best we could to the good practice guidelines of scaffolding.
This I found very good because when an opportunity came up to start their scaffolding ticket or scaffolding apprenticeship, they had basic knowledge of the theory side and it gave them a good start. It also helped them by not feeling whakama (shy) or out of place on the course. Most of the team are very good at a hands on approach, but would always struggle with reading and writing. This is the reason I chose to complete my adult education certificate to be able to help them to feel ok with classroom teaching.
What attracted you to a career in this industry?
I have been attracted to the thrill of challenges, from high rise buildings to suspended scaffolding, off beams and under bridge and commercial and residential jobs. My first ever scaffolding job was on a 60 story building, where we had to erect a tube and clip rostrum type scaffold to support a monorail dolly system which was suspended over the outside of the building . From that point onwards I was hooked. But what keeps me in this type of industry, and specifically with Scafit, is that they invest in their people, and most importantly they invest the time to train up the next generation of scaffolders.
What's a typical day for you? What do you enjoy the most?
Mostly, I enjoy actively being a trainer. Seeing up and coming scaffolders achieve their qualifications and upskilling.
A typical day would consist of working with the Operations Managers, to identify individual staff training requirements. From there, I set priorities and an annual plan for each individual through the Skills Pathway:
- Develop and implement the Skills Pathway training program.
- External training to be scheduled with respective managers.
- Internal training on the tools to be conducted by the job holder
- Keep record and photos of individual training completed and signed off.
A big part of training is also making sure they are clear on the health and safety requirements of each job, to cooperate with the policies and procedures as summarised in our H&S handbook.
What have been some career highlights?
- In 1997 I worked in Western Australia on two award winning projects, the BHP DRI Iron Ore Construction Plant in Port Hedland and the Worsley Alumna Plant in Bunbury.
- In 2013 - Ryman Site Waikanae - I was responsible for bringing together a group of unskilled men and training them to become competent scaffolders, within a high- pressured job environment.
- 2018 July - Myself and my good mate, Andrew MacDonald, got to experience a trip around Europe while also learning about the ways of Layher Scaffold and seeing it used first hand in the country it originated - Germany.
- In 2019 at the SARNZ (Scaffolding, Access & Rigging NZ INC) conference, I was honoured to be part of Scafit family receiving the Training Company of the Year Award.
- In 2022 I went to Manila where I was involved in recruiting 6 new workers.
What skills or qualities do you think are important for someone pursuing a career in the industry?
The willingness to learn. You can go far in an industry like scaffolding if you have the dedication to put the hard yards in. It’s easy to say you need to be able to lift a certain amount, not be afraid of heights, think on the spot and problem solve. But it’s also about having a good work ethic, finding the right balance, being open to constructive feedback that will only enable you to grow further. Not just competencies but also having a series of soft skills like having the right attitude. These didn’t come to me overnight, and I’ve had to work really hard to maintain and continuously hone these skills, but through the guidance of my mentors and working for a company like Scafit, it keeps these front of mind.
How has the scaffolding industry evolved or changed since you began your career?
The biggest change to scaffolding since I started is the evolution of Health and Safety. The introduction of methodologies of how we do things now, the thought process behind why we do things this way. Training them the right way.
Are there any misconceptions about the scaffolding industry that you would like to address or debunk?
When I started it was a male dominated industry but it’s fantastic to see that more women are interested at getting amongst it.
As a Trainer focused on safety and best practice, where do you see the industry in the future?
The future is in the development of scaffolding designs and having good trainers who specialise in turning high risk environments into low risk environments. The technology and techniques around scaffolding have grown dramatically since I first started out.
What important advice or lessons have you learned while in this industry?
Don’t be complacent, always be open to feedback and suggestions. You don’t know everything, you’re a part of a team where everyone contributes something.
What advice would you give to someone new to the industry?
There is such a great opportunity from the beginning to work your way up from being a groundie to becoming a team leader. When the opportunity arises to learn more, always take it. You’re bound to make some mistakes (everyone does) but aim to grow and learn from them. Aim to be the best, don’t settle for less.
