Patrick teaches Council Building Consent Authority (BCA) staff in several cohorts around New Zealand in Hamilton, Hastings, Kapiti, Tasman, Dunedin, and Queenstown.
Married with two adult children, he relishes travelling in his motorhome and cross-country running. He hails from a farming family background. Patrick is a fifth-generation New Zealander born in Ngataki, Northland, and educated in Taumarunui in the King Country.
His 47-year career was launched in 1977 when he joined the Army Engineers to train as a carpenter. There he gained a Trade Certificate, Advanced Trade in Carpentry, and the NZ Certificate in Building. He then worked in the building industry as well as teaching carpentry apprentices at Taranaki Polytechnic.
For the past 20 years, Patrick has worked at Building Consent Authorities (BCAs) around New Zealand, starting at the Far North District Council, then Christchurch City Council over the earthquake period, then Tauranga City Council, and finally in the top of the south Nelson City Council before joining Future Skills in February 2020. His expansive career also saw him managing hotels.
As well as completing a carpentry apprenticeship, he studied part-time at different institutions for the following qualifications: Bachelor of Applied Management (BAppMgt), (Majoring in business transformation and change), Level 7, National Diploma in Building Control Surveying (small buildings), Level 5, National Diploma in Building Control Surveying (medium and large buildings), Level 6, New Zealand Certificate in Building (now NZQA Diploma in Construction Management), Level 6 (BCA Regulation 18 compliant qualification), Advanced Trade Certificate in Carpentry, Level 5, Trade Certificate in Carpentry, Level 4, Polytechnic Teachers Certificate (Ministry of Education Wellington), National Certificate in Adult Education and Training (Skills Organisation assessor for Regulation 18), Audit Certificate Quality College, Certificate in Adult Teaching (AIT now AUT), and Assessors Certificate (Skills Organisation).
Patrick says he was drawn to teach building surveying after the economic and fiscal policies of Rogernomics in 1987, especially the promotion of unrestricted free-market activity, led to a breakdown in trade training. This has left a large gap and an extreme shortage of qualified, experienced BCA building officers, he says.
“So, at my stage of life, I decided to join Future Skills Academy to hopefully give back, to help rebuild and train future BCA building officers,” he says.
“This I know will take years to rebuild although we have to start somewhere.”
Patrick says the two-year building surveying programme serves the Building Consent Authority industry well as it is run like former apprenticeships with a balance of block course training, online training, and practical work experience.
His goal for each learner is to create welcoming and inclusive learning environments where interactions between all people are considerate of each other’s needs and respectful of diversity. He aims to design collaborative learning activities that are structured- and further adapted- to be accessible and understandable for all participants. His third goal is to teach and foster self-responsibility for students to manage their own educational journey and help learners access suitable specialist and pastoral support when needed.
“At Future Skills Academy, our continuing priority is steady and sustainable progress for the gradual improvement of our learning and teaching practice in keeping with our vision and values.”
He is inspired by teaching and helping to build an inclusive learning environment by ensuring everyone feels respected, different identities, cultures, and languages are valued, all contributions are welcomed, learners are encouraged to share their life experiences and there are high expectations of achievement for all learners.
Patrick strives to make education accessible and understandable to all his learners by actively engaging with learners’ diversity, creating environments where all learners are given the opportunity to progress as well as providing options and choices for learning and assessment.
