Source: MIL-OSI Submissions
Source: NZ Plumber
The inaugural Jackson Women in Plumbing award has been won by Colleen Upton, General Manager of Hutt Gas & Plumbing, at the 2020 New Zealand Plumbing Awards held online on Tuesday 19 May.
Colleen is the heart of the Hutt Gas & Plumbing business-responsible for everything behind the scenes, including HR, finance, job management, pastoral care of apprentices, health and safety, and managing the administrative team.
She manages over 24 staff working on projects ranging from large-scale commercial to domestic gas appliance servicing.
Passionate about seeing young apprentices succeed, Colleen is the driving force behind the company’s staff training and development.
She has held many governance positions and at one time was often the only female at industry events.
Colleen currently serves on the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board and is a strong supporter of diversity in the trade.
Hutt Gas & Plumbing employ three of the approximately 22 female apprentices and plumbers currently working in NZ-a reflection of Colleen’s reputation for providing a respectful and inclusive workplace.
She is a member of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) and was awarded the supreme NAWIC Helen Tippett award in 2019 for her outstanding and enduring contribution to supporting women in the construction sector.
The new award Jackson Women in Plumbing recognises a woman who has made an outstanding contribution to the plumbing, gasfitting or drainlaying industry.
Ian Jackson, owner of Allproof Industries, and his family felt it was time that the hard work of women in our sector-on and off the tools-was acknowledged. Allproof could not have succeeded without the support of the women in the Jackson family.
The New Zealand Plumbing Awards are normally presented during a gala dinner which is the glittering finale of the annual New Zealand Plumbing Conference.
Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in this year’s conference being postponed until 2021.
However, Master Plumbers decided to celebrate and honour our 2020 awards winners – those who have contributed to the Plumbing, Gasfitting and Drainlaying sector in New Zealand – in a virtual ceremony using cameras in multiple locations and Zoom technology.
The ceremony aired on Facebook as a live Watch Party at 7 pm on Tuesday 19 May.
Master Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers NZ Inc (Master Plumbers) is the national membership organisation for plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying businesses, with 18 regional Associations and Branches across New Zealand. Companies go through a Quality Assurance programme in order to become a member. We provide members with a wide range of resources and training opportunities to support them in staying up with the latest technologies, products and compliance requirements. We advocate on behalf of our members and our industry.
Masterlink, a group training scheme owned by Master Plumbers, provides managed mentored apprenticeships across New Zealand, with Regional Managers supporting the apprentices and the businesses who host them during their training.
NZ Plumber is the award-winning, bi-monthly magazine for New Zealand’s plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers. It is owned by Master Plumbers.
