Tag: Women in trades

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Back to her roots

Camille McKewin’s love of horticulture grew out of fond memories of gardening with her grandfather. She’s now using her skills to build a gardening business that gives her the freedom to spend plenty of time with her young daughter – who in turn is developing a keen interest in plants.

Hearing Camille McKewin talk animatedly about gardening, you’d think she was born with a passion for it.

So it’s not surprising that Camille’s whanau suspect her love of plants is in the genes. After all, her grandfather had a green thumb and tended to the many plants on the family’s property in Green Bay, Auckland.

“We had so many fruit trees – feijoas, guava, grapes, heaps of things,” says Camille, who is Australian Māori. “I really love the memories of that and all it took for my grandfather to maintain it.”

Her grandfather passed away when Camille was nine years old, but her memories of him are still strong.

“I remember being seven and eight years old, following him around the garden, learning heaps and chewing on sugar cane.”

Searching for more

Camille, now 30, tried out a few jobs – such as training to be a chef and working at a childcare centre – before she found her dream career. But when she began studying horticulture and landscaping at Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT), she knew she’d found her calling.

“I was always searching for more, something more stimulating. Taking up horticulture, I see the world in a whole different way. I look at plants differently, I look at food differently – I look at a lot of things differently that before I would have taken for granted.”

Once she began her training, Camille discovered the horticulture industry is much wider than she’d initially thought – from landscaping and growing plants to Māori medicine and pest control.

“I realised horticulture isn’t just about learning how to grow some potatoes. It actually opens up so many other doors.”

Philip Sutherland, one of Camille’s tutors at MIT, says she showed horticultural flair from the start.

“Camille was always engaged, interested and ready to get involved and get stuck in. She was a bit like a sponge – she just couldn’t get enough knowledge quick enough,” says Philip.

“She was confident in her ability and knowledge and prepared to back herself. That showed strength of character. She has a real can-do, go get ‘em attitude.”

Getting qualified

Camille completed an introduction to horticulture and landscaping (level 2), followed by a level 3 course on the subject. As it happened, those courses were both free.

Although she wanted to go on to complete level 4, Camille couldn’t afford the course fees.

“I’m a solo mum, so at the time I was like, ‘I really don’t want to have a student loan’.”

But then she discovered her fees would be covered by an MPTT scholarship.

“It made a huge difference. I wouldn’t have been able to take level 4 if I hadn’t gotten the scholarship. It helps a lot; it takes a lot of pressure off.”

Hands-on experience

To clock up some experience and get started in the industry, Camille began working while she was studying.

This included tending the gardens at MIT over the holidays and working in neighbourhood gardens with another horticulture student.

“We were both really keen on getting out there and making money, so I was doing garden work with her for low income earners.”

Now that she’s qualified, Camille splits her time between working on these shared projects and growing her own business.

So far, she’s found plenty of work through word-of-mouth and via local website neighbourly.co.nz.

“There are so many people looking for someone to tend to their gardens. Elderly people or those who are unable to get out there really want help in their gardens – especially when you take care in the job you’re doing.”

Family tree

One benefit of working for herself is that Camille can choose to work during school hours, allowing her to spend more time with five-year-old daughter Madelin.

“That’s the good thing about having your own business. Working for yourself, you don’t have to work nine to five. It’s all on your terms.”

Camille McKewan
Like her mum, Madelin is soaking up information about plants and how they grow.

“She’s telling her teachers about it and she thinks she knows everything now about how you plant something and why you plant it,” says Camille.

“She’s obtained some of the knowledge I have, which is great because I think it’s something this next generation really needs to take into consideration. Not many people know much about food and where it comes from. People take it for granted.”

Camille encourages other people with a curiosity about the industry to give it a go.

“We need it more than ever now that the world is changing and to feed the growing population. It’s about the knowledge and know-how of providing for ourselves, our whānau and our future. We need more people in the horticulture industry who are passionate about it.”

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Young mum inspired by The Block

Sarah Peraua had never thought about becoming a builder – until she watched The Block on TV. Inspired to start a new career, Sarah is now using her skills to give back to her family and community.

Before Sarah Peraua started training to be a carpenter, the young mum from Auckland had barely swung a hammer.
 
“I wasn’t really into woodwork at school and I didn’t find it interesting. I was more into sewing,” she says. 

That all changed one evening back in 2014 when Sarah, who was out of work at the time, happened to watch The Block on television.

“As soon as I saw The Block, I thought, ‘That looks cool!’ I was really interested in seeing how everything is built, how a house comes together.”

Getting started

Sarah, a Cook Islander, looked into doing a carpentry course and heard about the Māori and Pasifika Trades Training scholarships.

“I was so happy when I got one. It gave me that extra push to make sure I finish the course. Because I’m on a scholarship I don’t want to waste that money.”

She completed her Level 4 Certificate in Applied Technology at Unitec last year – but juggling motherhood and study wasn’t easy.

“It’s been challenging and a bit hectic at times. Learning to use powertools has also been quite difficult for me.”

Family first

Pushing her forward all the time is Sarah’s desire to provide her son Ronny, aged 5, with a stable future.

“I’m pretty driven to be a role model for my son. I’m going to have early mornings and late nights, but in the end it’ll all be worth it.”

Although her parents were a bit skeptical about their daughter entering a male-dominated industry, the difference in Sarah’s confidence and mood has been obvious.

“She seems to be a lot happier now. It’s a big change really,” says dad, Ora.

Looking ahead

Sarah also dreams of using her trade to benefit others in the future. She was part of a team of trainees that volunteered their time and skills to build a retaining wall at Onehunga Primary School last October.

“It’s really nice helping others,” she says.

Fired up to work in Auckland’s booming construction sector, Sarah is now waiting to be offered a three-year apprenticeship through BCITO.

“My goal is to be a qualified builder within the next five years or so.”

And does she dream of building her own house, like on The Block?

“Probably in the next 30 years, once I’ve gained enough experience!” she says.

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Women can do it

As a young woman, Kelsie McKenna faced doubts – from herself and others – when her passion for timber led her to train as a carpenter. But despite concerns about how she’d fit into the male-dominated sector, she soon discovered a “really positive atmosphere”, great workmates and hands-on work she loves.

When Kelsie McKenna decided to become a builder, there were plenty of naysayers.

“It was hard because everyone around me was saying ‘Are you sure this is what you want to do? Have you thought it through?’”

Breaking stereotypes

Being a young woman meant Kelsie faced a lot of doubts – from inside and outside – about her ability to foot it in the male-dominated trades sector. Was she strong enough? How would the men treat her?

“Those negative thoughts got to me for a while but I decided to put them aside and go for it because you only live once.”

Now more than half-way through her Certificate in Carpentry (Level 4), Kelsie wonders what all the fuss was about.

“I haven’t come across any problems at all. It’s a really positive atmosphere. The guys I work with treat me the same as all the other guys and that’s what I want. Just because I’m a female doesn’t make me special or anything.”

Kelsie, aged 19, strongly believes more women should consider a career in New Zealand’s booming trades sector.

“I think the trades is for everyone. Women can do it. I really didn’t think I could do this but I’m doing it today and I love it. I know some women think strength is an issue but you can build your strength up on the job.”

‘A passion for timber’

Kelsie’s reason for becoming a builder was pretty simple.

“I just had a passion for timber. Me and my dad have done a lot of ‘wooding’, where we go out into the forest and cut up timber and take it for firewood. I’ve always found that fun. And just doing little projects with my dad around the house, like building fences.”

Having now spent a bit of time on building sites – for example, helping build the Waiheke Sculpture Trail – Kelsie has discovered other benefits of the work.

“I love working outside and I just love working around the people in this trade, like the plumbers, electricians, and the builders. Also, I love using powertools.”

Laying the foundations

Before starting her carpentry training at Unitec in July 2016, Kelsie was living in Dunedin trying her hand at various jobs.

“I worked in a few areas like travel and tourism, then applied for the carpentry course up in Auckland thinking ‘I probably won’t get in’,” she says.

“I just had to give it a go, otherwise I’d still be in Dunedin doing what I was doing beforehand and that was boring.”

Being Māori and Samoan, Kelsie heard she might qualify for a scholarship from MPTT Auckland.

“I wasn’t even going to apply because I thought ‘I can’t get a scholarship’. It was a pretty exciting feeling and I felt very privileged because it means I’m debt free when I walk out of my course with this certificate.”

Kelsie is due to finish her Level 4 Certificate in June this year.

“After that, I want to be doing my apprenticeship. That’s the next thing. Finding an employer who will take me on.”

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Nurse carves out new career in carpentry

Elizabeth Cruickshank had spent 12 years as a registered nurse, but she couldn’t shake her dream of being a carpenter. The 35-year-old took the bold step of changing careers in 2014 with help from an MPTT scholarship.

Elizabeth Cruickshank’s dream of being a carpenter nagged her in the most unlikely moments.

Even while using her nursing skills to care for people in the wake of Samoa’s massive 2009 tsunami, her mind was partly elsewhere.

“A lot of the time I’d be cleaning and dressing wounds but watching the rebuild happening outside. I remember thinking, ‘I wish I could be doing the rebuild instead of this’.

“I guess I’d reached burn-out; I’d worked in almost every area of nursing but I just wasn’t content.”

A new skill set

Elizabeth, who is of Samoan heritage, finally decided to take a bold step and change career in 2014, after 12 years as a registered nurse.

When she found out about the support she could get through Māori and Pasifika Trades Training, it was an added incentive to follow her dream.

“I was at the point where I was going to go back and retrain but I’d already prepared myself for the fact that I’d be living on a very limited income. So it was a massive bonus to have my fees paid for.”

Elizabeth, 35, was partly attracted to carpentry because of early memories of her father, who left for England when she was seven years old.

“He used to do renovations, and I guess there’ll always be a connection to him in that sense.”

In June she will complete Level 4 of her training at Manukau Institute of Technology, which will be followed by an apprenticeship. Her ultimate dream is to become a property developer or manager.

She enjoys the practical nature of carpentry, and working in an environment where she can make use of her skills while being trusted to do a good job.

“They treat us like employees, not like beginners. In building, you’re not going to be competent until you’ve done it. It’s completely different to nursing because instead of learning on live patients, you can learn through timber, steel and power tools. And while that can be potentially life-threatening, the danger is mostly to yourself and colleagues – which can be carefully managed.”

Elizabeth has recently moved back to live in her childhood home in Mt Roskill, where her carpentry skills are already coming in handy.

“There are a lot of things that need fixing that I wanted the practical skills to do.”

Challenging stereotypes

Working in a male-dominated industry has brought challenges, but she deals with it by getting on with the job.

“To be honest, I still come across a lot of men who would prefer me not to be there. And I don’t mind because I understand how it rattles people. I think that’s just their own limitations.”

Elizabeth makes an effort to encourage other women interested in the trades to sign up for the Māori and Pasifika Trades Training programme.

“There are quite a few female labourers on our site, and a lot of them are Pasifika and Māori. Whenever I talk to them, I ask if they’ve ever considered trades training and say they should give it a go, especially if they can have their fees paid. There are still a lot of people out there who don’t know they can get a scholarship.”

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Best friends going forth to ‘do damage’

Easter Isara and Elizabeth Westerlund studied Furniture and Cabinet Making together, and clicked instantly. They’re now best friends and encourage each other to use their practical skills to do good in the world.

They’re both Samoan and share a passion for hands-on work, but it’s something bigger that unites two women from Auckland.

When Elizabeth Westerlund and Easter Isara began studying Furniture and Cabinet Making (Level 4) at Unitec earlier this year, they clicked instantly. 

“We’ve pretty much been best friends ever since,” says Easter, aged 25. “We do everything together – in and out of school.”

Giving back

Strongly independent and proud of their Samoan heritage, the two women quickly discovered they also share a dream of being able to help others.  

“My heart is to give to the people,” says Elizabeth, a 26-year-old devout Christian.

“I want to use my skills to equip the poor. It’s about teaching them to fish rather than giving them the fish. I want to go wherever I’m needed in the world.”

Easter sums it up slightly differently.

“We both want to make a difference so I said to her, ‘Let’s do some damage for good in the world’.”

Building their skills

Both women grew up in Samoa but moved to New Zealand as teenagers to continue their education. 

They took various work and study paths before deciding to train as furniture- and cabinet-makers this year.

“I wanted a really solid job and I wanted to be better than I was so I thought I’d go back to school,” says Easter.

“I can draw, but to know that my hands can build something bigger than a drawing is awesome. I never knew how far my hands could go as far as being delicate or rough.”

Elizabeth, who’d already trained as an artist and wants to become an architect in the future, says learning a new skillset has stretched her.  

“It’s really different from art because with art you can just express yourself and do what you want. With cabinet making you have to be precise and your observation and listening skills have to be excellent, because you’re taking instructions.”

The two friends are constantly driving each other, says Easter.

“We push each other with everything. She talks to me about her goals and I push her to be what she wants to be, and she does the same for me.”

Easter and Elizabeth are both grateful to have their fees covered by a scholarship from Māori and Pasifika Trades Training Auckland.

“It’s great because when I studied last time it took four years to pay off that student loan. I know how it feels to be in debt so I was grateful and so happy to get this scholarship,” says Easter.

Hands-on experience

In September this year, the two got their first chance to ‘do some damage’ together by joining an MPTT Auckland team building cyclone-resistant homes for low-income families in Fiji.

Easter discovered that working on a building site is completely different to building furniture.

“Up here we’re using bigger hammers and bigger nails and the measurements don’t have to be so precise. But I’m loving it and now I want to do a building apprenticeship next year.”

Construction company Hadyn + Rollet kindly sponsored Elizabeth’s trip to Fiji.

“Thank you for your hearts, for giving me this opportunity to come here and give to other people,” she says.

Easter’s mission to Fiji was made possible by Unitec.  

“Thank you,” she says. “I really wasn’t expecting it but for them to sponsor me, I’m grateful and I’ll try my best not to let them down.”

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Hospo skills honed on the marae

After catering for large groups at the marae with her family, Bridgit-Lee Morgan found her hospitality skills were already well honed. By getting qualified, the 23-year-old is turning her natural talent into an exciting career.

Growing up in a big Māori family meant Bridgit-Lee Morgan developed her hospitality skills well before she even set foot on a tertiary campus.

Catering for large groups at the marae was just part of everyday life, so it came as a surprise to learn she could make a career from it.

“When I first started studying hospitality, the tutors were telling us stuff like how to set up a restaurant in 30 minutes, and I realised I already knew it,” she says.

“Because of my experience on the marae, that sort of thing was common sense to me. I didn’t realise how much I already knew. It was cool to realise I could make good money out of it, rather than just being told what to do by my family!”

Finding her path

Bridgit, aged 23, is doing a L4 Certificate in Food and Beverage at Manukau Institute of Technology and will qualify early next year.

Despite her natural talent in hospitality, Bridgit didn’t see it as a viable career path when she was leaving school.

Instead, she went straight into a warehouse job, then studied tourism and travel, before becoming a deckhand on Te Aurere Waka, a traditional voyaging ship based out of Auckland.

“We did tours out of Auckland and I really enjoyed it. That was one of the main things I wanted to do in tourism – work outdoors.”

Bridgit’s move into formal hospitality training came by chance.

“I was supposed to go into a Diploma in Pacific Rim Tourism but they got my details mixed up and I ended up doing hospo. I was planning to do that later anyway, so I just went with it and I’ve really enjoyed it.”

She says the most attractive things about working in hospitality are the opportunities to travel and earn a decent wage.

“I’m thinking about training as a chef too because that’s related to hospitality.”

Taking opportunities

Bridgit says it was a big help having her course fees covered by a scholarship from MPTT Auckland.

“It made it much easier financially. There’s been no pressure, no worries about the money.”

As an MPTT Auckland scholar, Bridgit was invited to join a team of trades trainees who travelled to Fiji in September to build cyclone-resistant homes for low-income families.  

Helping build the two homes from scratch, in a small settlement near Nadi, gave Bridgit a massive confidence boost in terms of her DIY skills.

“That trip really opened my mind up about different options. The way you can build a house, door handles and windows, is just amazing.

“I usually just ask dad to do that kind of thing for me at home but I feel way more confident now about doing it myself.”

Bridgit’s trip to Fiji was made possible thanks to the generosity of sponsors like Bev McConnell, Dr William and Loreen Brehaut, Argus Fire Protection and Allendale Electrical.

“Thank you for the opportunity to go to Fiji and do some good work. It’s been a really good experience,” Bridgit says.