Domestic Division

Brent Rodgers lives in Kaeo in the Far North with his partner Beck, their child, and Beck’s two children. Brent also has two adult children and eight grandchildren from a previous marriage. He moved to the Far North from Auckland three and a half years ago after completing a Bachelor of Sport and Recreation in 2018 at AUT in Auckland.

He holds a certificate in Tertiary Teaching, a bachelor’s degree in Sport and Recreation (double majoring in Coaching and Management), a Diploma in Building Surveying (Level 6), and a National Certificate in Carpentry.

“Most of these were achieved as an adult while working so I understand what it is like to be an adult learner.”

Brent spent 16 years in the construction industry as a carpenter, building contractor with his own business, and a contract site manager on mainly residential construction. He went on to become a Senior Lecturer of Construction at Manukau Institute of Technology for six years. He returned to MIT to teach construction management for a three-year contract while studying full-time for his degree.

Brent has worked as the Team Leader for Building Consents at the Building Consent Authority of the Far North District Council. During this time, he studied for another two years to gain the NZ Diploma in Building Surveying.

His goal for each learner’s journey is twofold.

“To inspire in them a quest for personal development through education and to assist with better equipping them for their roles in the building controls environment. Students should feel empowered by their teaching and learning experience,” he says.

“My message to prospective learners would be that I may not have all the answers, but I will be able to help you develop the skills and the desire to find your own.”

Making a difference to others inspires him.

Outside work, Brent relishes riding his motorcycle and playing bass guitar – although not at the same time. He completed two full-distance Ironman Triathlons in 2014 and 2016. He holds a certificate in artificial insemination of cows and had a franchise pregnancy testing cows.

Helen Hegley has a diploma in Nursing and a bachelor’s degree in health science, having specialised in Coronary Care Nursing before getting into an educational role within South Auckland Health.

She was fortunate enough to be a stay-at-home Mum when her kids were young, working part-time for Foodstuffs marking unit standards assessments while participating in committees and going on school trips and camps.

When her youngest started school, Helen returned to work as an auditor for Diabetes Project Trust, now Diabetes Aotearoa, which offered a fantastic service to local doctors to support the care they provided their diabetic patients.

Seven years later she joined New Zealand Tertiary College as a tutor in the Health and Wellbeing programme. She later moved to Skills Update where she was the Programme Manager of the Health and Wellbeing team, developing Level 2 and Dementia programmes to support industry growth. 

She is now putting her management skills to good use and relishing the opportunity to work at Future Skills with such an amazing team.

Helen says she loves working with our students. Her focus is to empower them and to instil belief in themselves as gaining a qualification and skills is life-changing not only for themselves but also their families and generations to follow.  She says fun learning is good learning and happy students are productive students.

Outside of work, Helen enjoys reading, yoga, walking and tramps (particularly the glamping tramps when your bags are transported, and the meals are catered and with wine is cold).  She has a great network of friends and a special ‘Sunday funday’ group formed after our stormy summer in 2023.

Helen has three adult children, two boys who are in the building industry and a daughter who is an Occupational Therapist.  They all live in Auckland.  She loves interior design and has bought her own place in Half Moon Bay which she is busy painting.

Carl has gained a wealth of knowledge throughout his working life from being a trade-qualified carpenter and a qualified building inspector in the New Zealand building environment.

“I have had the privilege of spending my whole working life (41 years) working in various aspects of the building industry,” he says.

His previous roles range from working as a hardware assistant and a building supplies sales representative to employing staff in his own construction business and directing the establishment of a nationwide housing charity for affordable homes.

“I have seen a lot of change in the New Zealand building landscape.”

Carl completed his apprenticeship in Pukekohe where he gained a trade certificate and an advanced trade certificate as a carpenter. He worked for a firm that specialised in quality homes across the commercial and light industrial markets. Upon receiving his apprenticeship, he went into the building business and served across the whole sector on residential, commercial, and industrial building sites.

“My greatest joy from this was being able to supply pathways for my employees towards their trade training hopes via BCITO and ITAB (Industry Training Apprentice Building),” he says.

“It was during this time that I became an on-site adviser for BCITO (Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation).”

Carl spent 41 years in these different areas of the industry.

In Jan 2009, he was employed as an inspector with Auckland City Council. It was at this time that he completed the Diploma in Building Surveying.

“I spend my free time involved in community endeavours, with my church, as a Justice of Peace, and as a committee member of the Building Officials Institute. When I have any freer time, I spend it with my wife Nikki and eldest son Jesse, doing dishes and walking my dogs.”

Carl has a Trade Certificate and Advanced Trade Certificate in Carpentry as well as a Diploma in Building Surveying.

He joined the teaching team at Future Skills Academy in April 2020.

He aims to provide each student with an individual experience by sharing deeply his range of experiences to encourage their learning journey. Each student will be given the same information but their application to this journey will be different, he says.

He is inspired by watching students connect with our teaching and getting inspired for their career development.

He says the Diploma in Building Surveying provides a builder who wants to enter the academic world a graduated process to develop their skills beyond the purely practical aspects of their current role. Adult students can add value to their personal experience and move towards a more academic world if they want.

Married to his wonderful wife for more than 16 years, Sam has two daughters and two dogs. The family trains together in karate and he takes them hunting whenever he can.

“As I am getting older, I enjoy mowing my lawn, the simple pleasure of barbecuing and smoking meat for friends.”

Sam left High School with School Certificate, Sixth Form Certificate, Bursary, and University Entrance. He studied law at Victoria University of Wellington but left university and went on to complete a building apprenticeship. He holds a certificate in Carpentry and a Certificate in Advanced Trade in Carpentry.

Building runs in the family with his dad a builder. Sam launched his early career as a carpenter before following in his father’s footsteps to share the same career.

“I have had two full-time apprentices and mentored two others. One competed at a national level and another came third in the worlds.”

Sam delivered both commercial and residential work across the country and still receives Christmas cards from satisfied customers today.

He was employed as a technical specialist for Wellington City Council, defending, advising, and representing the council in a tense climate of leaky building litigation.

“Having been in numerous expert conferences on issues before the High Court and Weathertight Homes Tribunal, I have been at the razor’s edge of technical discussions before the court. Unfortunately, I have needed to undertake building surveys on behalf of the Coroners Court, making statements on compliance where a death had occurred.”

He also held the role of Team Leader Compliance for Wellington City Council where he acted on behalf of the Council.

Sam held the position of Claims Manager for Wellington City Council and delivered the Financial Assistance Package (FAP) where the crown and council together would pay 50 percent of the cost of repairs for leaky buildings. At the same time, he belonged to a few working groups for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment on timber remediation and the steering group for FAP.

“As part of this, I was tasked with providing lessons from building defects to building control staff and delivering training.”

He served as the Regional Maintenance Manager for Housing New Zealand. In this role, Sam integrated the maintenance schedule with the asset plan, oversaw the transition of a new main contractor, and developed the training needs to meet the performance expectations for contractors.

“To me, teaching is not about showing I know the material, rather making that material accessible to others.  I want them ‘to get it’, and not to feel dumb for asking questions.”

For students coming into building control, acknowledging this is a daunting body of knowledge helps, he says.

 “Between earthquakes, building collapse, leaky buildings together with trying to digest the law, building code, and regulations I’d expect students to feel a little overwhelmed. Having rubbed shoulders with some of the best experts in New Zealand, I am confident to say I don’t know it all, and there are times even I need to ask for advice.”

Sam shares this fact with students, so they are comforted by knowing they are not alone in such an expansive industry. He teaches a framework that empowers students to know when to ask for help and where to look.

He is inspired by simple acts of kindness.

There was a time when building inspectors had a perception as broken-down old builders, Sam says.

“The community expects more from it than such a perception deserves.  People make financial decisions based on our work. They trust us to get it right and to do the right thing for them and their families.”

We have moved into a more professional age where education and training are an investment, he says.

With over 25 years’ experience in residential and commercial construction, Jeff has developed a comprehensive understanding of New Zealand's regulatory landscape.

His career has spanned every phase of the building consent process, including lodgement, processing, inspections, and quality management, along with territorial authority functions such as building enforcement and certification.

 His teaching qualification from Auckland Council BCA opened new doors to share his knowledge through industry-relevant diplomas. Today, as a technical expert and advisor for IANZ, MBIE, NZ Standards and various academic panels, he continues to contribute to the field.

 Jeff holds academic qualifications in architecture, building control surveying, has a Master in Construction Management and PhD in Building Regulation.

Isaac has a strong background in graphic and industrial design. His passion for furniture and cabinetry began while he was at university studying towards a bachelor’s degree in industrial design.

Following a brief but formative experience in the film industry as a model maker, Isaac spent 15 years working in furniture and cabinet making. During that time, he worked in workshops internationally, acquiring a wealth of expertise in the industry.

Isaac is now committed to sharing his extensive knowledge and hands-on experience with the next generation of learners.

Kanchana holds an MSc in Quantity Surveying and is working towards her PhD in Construction Management at Auckland University of Technology (AUT).

She has spent 18 Years working as a Senior Quantity Surveyor & Estimator for commercial, residential, and industrial buildings in the construction Industry around the world. She has also worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in Quantity Surveying & Construction Management at AUT.

Kanchana is an affiliate member of the New Zealand Institute of Quantity Surveyors.

Her research interests are construction procurement, building construction management, quantity surveying, and estimating.

She aims to give each of her learners the theory and industry knowledge they need to enter the world of work.

Outside of work, she enjoys exploring beautiful places and spending quality time with her family.

Hilda has completed a Bachelor of Nursing and a Master of Psychiatric Nursing.

She has been teaching since 2003 in India. In 2016 she moved to New Zealand where she completed a Level 7 qualification in healthcare management.

In 2017, she joined AGI Educational Ltd as a healthcare lecturer, was promoted to Programme Coordinator for Level 6, and worked there for five years.

Teaching is Hilda’s passion.

“I believe teachers pave the way and let learners choose their own paths to become the best version of themselves.”

Hilda is the mother of two daughters and savours reading and taking long walks during her spare time.

Chintal has a background in complementary and alternative medicine and has been teaching for 20 years. She has coached a range of health and wellbeing programmes in New Zealand.

“I particularly enjoy teaching mental health and addiction as this aligns well with my professional background in complementary medicine that lays a strong emphasis on holistic care and person-centred approach.”

She has achieved a Postgraduate qualification in health science in New Zealand and a qualification in adult and tertiary teaching. Chintal has also given back to the community as a support worker.

She believes that every adult learner brings a wealth of experience to class.

“My role is to mold and facilitate their existing knowledge and experience with the new learning. Teaching and learning has to be reciprocal, and this will provide a holistic learning experience for the learners.”

Shermini Priya Lawrence holds a Master of Science in Nursing (Public Health), and a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Science. She’s currently pursuing a New Zealand Certificate in Adult Tertiary Teaching.

Shermini Priya Lawrence has been teaching adult learners in the healthcare sector for around 14 years. She also has experience working in different healthcare settings.

Her goal is to provide an inclusive learning environment where all learners feel welcome and comfortable to share their views and thoughts, enjoy the learning, and achieve goals successfully.

She says teaching is a great way to keep learning and believes in the following quote by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, Former President of India: “Teaching is a very noble profession that shapes the character, calibre and future of an individual. If the people remember me as a good teacher, that will be the biggest honour for me.”

Outside of work, Shermini loves spending quality time with family.

Kulbir has extensive experience in the healthcare field. As a registered nurse from India, Kulbir specialised in the occupational health and wellbeing department. Kulbir’s background also includes work at Middlemore Hospital in the pre-employment health screening of staff, mask fit testing and injury management.

Originally from Iran, Farhad lived in Japan for 11 years before moving to New Zealand as a skilled worker six years ago. Now a New Zealand citizen, he lives with his wife and two children in Auckland’s North Shore.

He has more than 20 years’ experience in industry and academia in trending areas of information technology, including cloud computing, cybersecurity, the internet-of-things (IoT), and business intelligence. Farhad has taught many undergraduate and postgraduate courses as well as supervised several master’s and PhD students.

He has completed a BSc, an MSc, a PhD, and a Post-doctorate in Computer Science / Information Technology. An active researcher, he has published more than 100 articles including book chapters in peer-reviewed journals and conferences. You can see Farhad’s Google Scholar profile here.

Farhad is a Senior Member of IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organisation. He has worked for several years in the IT industry as a design engineer in Iran, a Research and Development specialist in joint projects with major companies in Japan, a Senior Consultant and a Project Leader in New Zealand.

His goal for each learner’s journey is to support and personalise their learning. Farhad aims to ensure they enjoy the journey as well as becoming inventors, explorers and creators.

“I wish to inspire my students. Students should expect to be in an inclusive, safe, enjoyable and valuable learning environment and gain new learning experiences and guidance from their teachers to enhance their technical and interpersonal skills and become work ready.”

He is inspired by nature, space, and the theory of evolution. Outside work, he enjoys listening to music and is interested in calligraphy. A sports fan, Farhad savours watching and playing such sports as tennis, badminton, basketball, volleyball, running and kayaking.

Ganeshan has a BSc and an MSc and has taught at universities and polytechnics in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the USA. He has mentored learners from more than fifty countries. He has also worked in the industry for many years.

His current research areas include the use of AI and machine learning in the real world for sustainable development and saving lives as well as learning facilitation (teaching and learning).

From 2011 to 2015, as programme leader of one of the largest programmes at Unitec, he worked with Unitec’s local and international marketing teams, Student Central and Student Admin, and helped double the EFTS.

He joined EDENZ Colleges in 2016 as Head of Department, IT, and was a member of the Senior Management Team.

Ganeshan is currently a proud member of the Future Skills Academy Teams and teaches degree students at Otago Polytechnic Auckland International Campus and micro-credential learners at Future Skills Academy.

He enjoys learning and helping students learn and working with others to help institutions achieve their goals.

During his leisure time, he regularly joins surfers on the line-up and catches waves sitting on his Stand-Up Paddleboard, even during winter.

His publications and videos on a wide range of topics including IT, AI, computing, health and happiness and even some recipes are found by searching his full name, Kathiravelu Ganeshan, on Google Scholar, Amazon, and YouTube.

Boon has a master's degree in IT and is a certified SCRUM Master. Boon has more than 35 years of experience in IT roles ranging from software engineer and product manager to CTO, CIO, and CEO across New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Japan, China, and India. Boon’s academic mission is to mentor and equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in the IT industry, emphasizing practical application and real-world experience. In his spare time, Boon plays competitive badminton and goes to the gym.

Dr Hamid Sha holds a PhD in Information Systems from the University of Auckland. On top of his teaching, he currently works as Product Transformation Lead at Rakon. He has experience in Data Science, Product and Project Management, and Digital Transformation.

Hamid’s main research areas are user engagement on social media fan pages, customer knowledge management, and cybersecurity.

His goal is to help every student learn and build confidence in contexts relevant to the work they aspire to do.

Outside of work, Hamid is a DJ and gym addict. He’s also acted in a 2022 movie called Kainga. He loves nature and travelling and has visited more than 35 countries so far.

Maryam has a bachelor’s degree in English Translation and an MBA. She is currently studying towards a Master of Counselling at the University of Auckland. She is an experienced administration and customer service professional and has worked in the fields in New Zealand for three years. 

Maryam’s goal is to make sure our students see their value and receive all the assistance they need to be an integral part of the Future Skills family.

As a student herself, she understands the pressure of due dates, finishing assignments, and balancing study with life obligations. So, she wants to help students to enjoy their studies and have the best learning experience possible.

Outside of work, Maryam enjoys spending time with friends, watching movies, yoga, and walking and exploring beaches and scenic places in Auckland with her cute puppy, Alfie. She also enjoys going to cafes and restaurants with her husband and friends.  

Lovleen holds a master’s degree in applied chemistry, a Bachelor of Sciences, a Bachelor of Education, and a Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education. She worked in the early childhood education field for four years before joining Future Skills Academy.

“I love to share my experiences in ECE with my students and help them become as passionate about caring for children as I am,” she says.

“I like to give my heart and soul to provide my students with the most welcoming and inclusive learning environment. I strive for professional growth and update my teaching practice for my students to benefit from it.”

Lovleen believes in building and maintaining strong relationships wherever she goes. She adores spending quality family time with her husband and younger brother. They like to travel and visit new places.

“I also like to spend my time in doing meditation and using my creativity as a therapeutic release.”

Holly He completed a Graduate Diploma in ECE teaching at New Zealand Tertiary College and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education at the University of Auckland. She’s also completed a training course in Theory and Observation Course from the New Zealand Infant and Toddler Consortium (NZITC). Additionally, Holly holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Business Administration.

Holly is a qualified and fully registered early childhood teacher and worked in early childhood centres for around nine years.

Her teaching goal is to be a stepping stone or bridge to support and guide learners to achieve their success.

Her teaching philosophy in Early Childhood Teaching is respecting children for who they are and where they are from, respecting children`s emotions and their development milestones, and respecting children`s play and trusting their abilities. She believes respect is the key for all teaching and learning.

Outside of work, Holly loves yoga, reading, and playing Lego with her son Jonathan.

Priya holds a bachelor’s degree in hospitality and a postgraduate diploma in pâtisserie and confectionery, completed in the UK. She also completed an internship in Florida and earned an adult and tertiary teaching qualification in Auckland.

With 15 years’ experience in the hospitality industry and over three years in tertiary education, Priya is dedicated to engaging with learners and helping them to succeed. She believes that with the right support, learners can grow into confident individuals who achieve their goals.

Outside of work, Priya enjoys traveling and exploring new places whenever possible.