NZ move a good wicket for WITT’s cricket champ

Being named Player of the Season for his cricket team is not the only reason WITT quantity surveying kaimahi Sudeha Hennayaka is on a good wicket.

Sudeha, who won trophies for the most runs and wickets for the 2023/24 season last weekend and helped his Fitzroy Cricket Club blue team take out the Velocite Division 3 grand final, moved here a year ago.

Working at WITT’s School of Trades Training, Primary and Creative Industries and joining a cricket team have both contributed to his desire to call New Plymouth home after a decade in high-rise, densely populated Dubai.  Trees, plants and tranquillity were hard to find there, he says.

Moving here was a no-brainer for Sudeha and his wife and young daughter. “Life in Dubai was all about money and unnecessary spending. It’s the total opposite here. We wanted a change.”

It’s the sense of community and Kiwi culture he appreciates thanks to his colleagues at WITT and his cricket mates. “Since the first day I arrived here, people have been so friendly and helpful to me and my family. I feel so welcome and part of a community here and it’s a much healthier work-life balance.”

Surrounded by lush native bush at the WITT campus, Sri Lankan-born Sudeha teaches quantity surveying and construction management to L6 students.

With a Bachelor of Science (hons) in Quantity Surveying from University of Moratuwa Sri Lanka, as well as a being a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Sudeha draws on specialist experience from his time in Dubai.  He worked on research and technology developments for large-scale projects including Dubai’s artificial islands, known as Deira Islands. He’s excited to be able to share his knowledge and experience of quantity surveying and project management with his WITT students.

He's also studying te reo Māori at WITT in his spare time. “I understand that te reo Māori is an integral aspect of New Zealand's cultural identity. That’s why I’m keen to actively participate and discover its richness. “

Angela Ferguson, a Deputy Director at the School of Trade Training, says “Sudeha is a great asset to our teaching programme as he brings a wealth of experience from his work on major international projects. We value the contribution that experts like Sudeha make to the knowledge base and skills training we offer students at WITT. It’s a win for the wider community and our industry partners too.”

WITT’s diploma in construction programme, embracing construction management and quantity surveying, is proving popular as the demand for both residential and commercial building grows – locally and nationally, says Angela. “It’s a perfect time to gain skills and training in this industry and here at WITT we’re at the cutting edge as a learning provider.”

Find out more about our construction and related trades training courses here