Ben Johnstone, CEO of Vertical Horizonz New Zealand (VHNZ), and Marcus Bathan, COO of VHNZ, recently visited the Construction Training Centre (CTC) in Queensland, Australia. Their mission was to visit this world-class training precinct, investigate the feasibility of establishing similar training facilities in New Zealand and to determine whether such a facility could meet the needs of New Zealand's wider specialist industries.

The CTC is a modern, shared facility that offers a range of high-risk training courses in areas such as scaffolding, rigging, roofing, confined spaces, and crane operation. The training centre uses the latest equipment and training programs designed to meet the highest industry standards. It also acts as a ‘resource hub’ for the people and organisations within the construction industry.

During their visit, Johnstone and Bathan were impressed with the quality of the facility. They saw how the facility's emphasis on safety, diversity, and compliance was reflected in the design of the training modules, which featured a range of specialist equipment and training environments, including a 12-metre-high confined space training tower, a digger school, and a rigging platform.

Picture: Heights and Confined space training area at CTC Queensland

Johnstone emphasised VHNZ's commitment to providing the best possible training experience for its clients. He highlighted that the CTC is a benchmark facility for high-risk training, and its expertise could be a significant advantage to New Zealand's specialist trades. He added that with industry support and collaboration with our stakeholders, a similar facility could be established here in New Zealand.

Bathan added, "Empowering individual organisations and industries is our core purpose, and having dedicated training facilities for high-risk industries is a critical part of achieving that goal. At VHNZ we are already proud to offer a wide range of solutions for multiple industries, but we believe we can scale our offerings even further to improve not only training outcomes, but connectedness and collaboration within New Zealand industry.’’

Picture: Scaffold and Swing stage at CTC in Queensland

The visit to the CTC was a significant step for VHNZ in expanding its training capabilities and supporting the wider specialist industries in New Zealand. The quality of the facility and its commitment to safety and compliance were critical factors in the decision to explore the possibility of implementing similar shared training facilities in New Zealand. The knowledge gained from the visit will undoubtedly benefit VHNZ's clients and contribute to improving safety outcomes in New Zealand workplaces.

Picture: Outdoor training area at CTC Queensland