iSkills trade training expands again

Phil Macquarie, general manager (second from left) and Sharon Macquarie (third from left) with the iskills team, who provide training for the power sector.

Papamoa-based workplace training company Industry Skills Ltd (iSkills), which is already operating in Australia, is about to open an Auckland office and launch a forum to benefit trade-related industries.

Established in 2000 by Phil and Sharon Macquarie as Macquarie Training, the company has grown to include the founders and 10 staff, plus sub-contractors.

The company last month rebranded as iskills to reflect its core business of providing industry training, workplace assessment and management consultancy services nationwide and in Australia.

"We saw an industry need for work-based training assessment," said Mr Macquarie, who trained as an electrical technician in the power sector and serves as the company general manager and director. A key driver behind the move was the government's earlier decision to push workplace training out to the private sector, which had resulted in gaps in training, he said.

"We could see an opportunity mentoring people."

A primary focus for the training business is the power sector, including the transmission distribution and generation sectors, which accounts for over 50 per cent of the business. But iskills is also active in the motor trade, in other infrastructure areas, such as forestry, and is about to begin working with a number of plastics manufacturers.

"We don't just tailor programmes to suit companies' needs, we also plug skill gaps," said Mrs Macquarie, who is iskills managing director. "Plus, a big part of what we are doing is helping with skills shortages within industries."

"I've used Phil because of his thoroughness and professionalism," said long-term client Carl Groshinski, network operations supervisor at Northpower.

"I've used him for myself and as well as for my staff and other Northpower staff. I've encouraged them to go with iskills because I know that if you get a unit standard through Phil, you know you've deserved it because he's very thorough in his training and assessment. He was a technician so he has a good technical background. He has good people working with him, and they're teaching stuff from experience, not out of a book."

The scheduled opening of an Auckland office next month is in response to a large customer base there, plus the fact Auckland offers easy accessibility to other parts of New Zealand, but the company will retain its headquarters in Tauranga.

In Australia, the company manages an electricity industry registered training organisation for Electrics Pty Ltd, a specialist electrical contracting company, based in Melbourne with branches throughout Australia.

This year, the Macquaries also plan to take a leading role in helping establish a national forum for electricity network owners and operators, to enable discussion of common goals, issues and achievements.