Punjab to Parnell: WITT grad builds new life and new homes

Moving to New Plymouth from his home in Punjab – a northern Indian state one fifth the size of New Zealand with 30+ million people – was a giant leap into the unknown for WITT graduate Suhail Walia.

But he adapted quickly, thrived, and gained a Diploma of Construction Management (Quantity Surveying strand) between 2023 and 2025. With this qualification, he’s continuing to build a new life while overseeing the building of hundreds of residential homes in Auckland.

His new job, fresh from graduating last year, with Parnell-based Craft Wolf Construction, is a dream come true, he says. And from day one on the job, he was pleased to find that course material from his WITT studies was instantly relevant, confirming the decision to enrol on the recommendation of an education agent in India was the right one.

Working in construction was no random idea. As a boy, Suhail used to follow his father at work around the building sites of office and residential projects, watching him actively guide workers, labourers, architects, and designers through a project.

It was his dad’s hands-on knowledge of the entire process that inspired Suhail. “I saw how my dad was so into it, and how everything came together on site.”

A whole new world

Suhail spent his first month in New Zealand with family in Auckland and Hamilton before heading to New Plymouth to begin his studies and start his own life.

“It was like a whole new world that I came into,” he says of arriving in a town where he knew no one.

The early months weren’t easy. Suhail had to budget carefully, juggling a part-time job at Burger King alongside his coursework and assignments.

He felt the pressure – long days, tight deadlines, and little time to spare. But every assignment was submitted on time. “I knew I could give up at any point, but I kept going,” he says. “The more challenges that came into my life, the more it refined me. I saw it as something I had to get through – and I did.”

New Plymouth offered a different pace of life to what he was used to back in India, and settling into it took some adjustment. But he ultimately came to value the changes.

“People looking for a calm, peaceful atmosphere to study and live should think about coming here,” he reckons. “There are so many good places to hang out and explore in New Plymouth.”

The supportive study environment at WITT helped him to adapt to a different style of learning than he was used to India. Self-directed research into the New Zealand construction sector gave him a strong understanding of the industry before he started working in it.

“Everyone was approachable and nice. Staff were always helpful,” Suhail says of the support that carried him through.

Student leader

Being a WITT student leader was another experience he values. “It was an amazing time for me. It was good being part of a small group with the other leaders.”

He credits Zanetta Hinton (Director – Academic Quality and Student Success) with teaching him about good leadership. In this role, he and others met regularly to discuss issues and changes affecting students at WITT and provided input into institute policy and decision making.

Zanetta says; “Suhail brought a thoughtful and personal perspective to any discussion and was always willing to speak up for his fellow students. Seeing his confidence grow and watching him develop his own leadership style was incredibly rewarding. I’m very proud of him and what he’s achieved.”

Job joy

Suhail started applying for jobs a year ago and landed an interview five months later with the company he’s with now.

After a two-hour interview for the role of junior Quantity Surveyor, he received a text by the time he got home asking what salary he’d be happy with. “All the happiness was rushing inside me,” he recalls.

His employer, Craft Wolf Construction, builds 200+ houses a year, and he has been involved in around 100 of them. He enjoys onsite visits to check plans and timelines, and coordinates with suppliers and contractors to keep projects on schedule without compromising the quality of workmanship.

“I got the chance to take on accountability and responsibility far greater than I expected, early on. I took that as a challenge. It gave me experience and my career a real surge.”

While he has no plans to return to Taranaki soon, he’s deeply grateful for the education, and the professional and personal growth he gained here.

“The tutors are very well trained in how they taught. Everything I learned from WITT and my tutors has helped me to get to this point and increased my knowledge in this sector. WITT has played a big part in my life.”