Veronica excelled as New Zealand’s top student in her year when she was recently awarded the NZIQS NZ Diploma Student Award for a second-year student, from the New Zealand Institute of Quantity Surveyors.
She is the first WITT ākonga to win the award, worth $250 and a certificate. She will receive this when she graduates on February 14 with a New Zealand Diploma in Construction (with strands in Quantity Surveying and Construction Management).
Veronica was “blown away” when her tutor Ethan Johnson informed her of the win. “I had no idea I’d been put up for it. I’m really stoked!”
On-site insights - combining work and study
Key to her success has been the opportunity to study and work. In that regard, a major re-roofing project at WITT over the past year has been ideal timing for Veronica. She works part-time for Livingstone Building, the company which carried out the re-roofing of Blocks A and B throughout last year. While studying she’s worked as their Quantity Surveying administrator on the re-roofing drawings as well as tenders and warrantees for the project. It meant she has been able to weave insights from her job into her WITT assignments.
“It was great to apply my learning to a real-life project,” she says. As a qualified quantity surveyor, she hopes to further her career in construction.
The mum of two has studied part-time at WITT for the past four years. She trained and worked in Wellington as an interior designer before moving back to her hometown of New Plymouth nearly six years ago. Having expertise and experience in both design and technical drawing has expanded her skills and knowledge for the construction sector.
“People have grand ideas when it comes to design. As a quantity surveyor your job is to figure out how to turn that into an actual building,” Veronica says. “You might have to tweak the design to make it happen. My job is to turn the dream design into a reality.”
She enjoyed her study at WITT, preferring it to online learning, for the relationship building, support and conversations with tutors and classmates. “It’s a much better way to learn because you can talk to people and bounce ideas around. I’ve built good friendships through my WITT classes – not something you tend to do online.”
Studying, working and being a mum sounds like a lot to juggle. Supportive employers and tutors have made it easier, she says.
Her tutor, Ethan, is delighted at his student’s award success, having nominated her because of her outstanding academic results.
“It’s great for a student to be recognized by a professional body in this way – for Veronica and for WITT,” he says. “It’s also inspiring for our current and new students to see what is possible to achieve.”
Livingstone's Regional Manager, Blake Morgan, and the wider Taranaki team, have offered immense support to Veronica throughout her studies, providing on-the-job learning and flexibility for her to achieve and excel.
“Livingstone has a strong track record in mentoring staff throughout their Quantity Surveying studies, supporting over 40 staff in their studies to become QSs to date,” says Blake. “We understand the importance of growing the capability of the construction workforce and have a strong focus on supporting training opportunities for our team. We’re delighted to have played a part in Veronica's success.”
Caption: Veronica Hale pictured outside Block A at the WITT campus, where she studied and worked for Livingstone Building on the re-roofing project.
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