Jayden Topliss

My role at Colville and Hofman Builders is working in a small team, mainly building new residential housing. My company, which I work for, is contracted to GJ Gardner Homes West Coast, New Zealand; this means all of the homes we build are GJ Gardner-designed homes.

I have also helped out with a couple of renovations, pole sheds, cow sheds, and light commercial work. I have gained hands-on experience doing foundations, framing, cladding, interior fit-outs, decks, fences, retaining walls, and driveway and path forming.

I work mostly in a team with an older, qualified builder doing these tasks, but I can also work confidentially by myself.

• A typical new residential building process at my company starts at the foundation. The first step is setting out the house and constructing the formwork. Once the floor has passed inspection, we have subcontractors that come in and place the concrete. The majority of our floors are concrete slabs.
• We then have pre-built timber frames and trusses that turn up, and can be installed and fastened with the required fixings. Once the frames and trusses have passed inspection, we have subcontractors who come in and install the roof.
• Once the roof is on, we can then come back and install building wrap, form soffits, install windows and exterior doors, and build any cavities ready for cladding after inspection.
• We can then install the cladding and move to inside the house, where we can focus on getting ready for plasterboard. This includes installing ceiling battens, interior doors, straightening frames, insulation, and then plasterboard.
• Once the plasterer has come through, we can then move on to skirting boards and architraves.
• After all the subcontractors have finished inside, we come through and install door handles, mirrors, toilet roll holders, attic ladders/manholes, and wardrobe doors.
• Once we've finished up inside, we will do any outside work that the client wants built. This usually includes retaining walls, fences, decks, and driveway and path forming.

That is a standard, new residential build process at my company. Unfortunately, subcontractors do all of our roofing and concrete placing. I have had a bit of experience roofing and placing concrete, and I am always keen to progress my skills in these areas if that is something your company includes in the build process.

During my time doing work experience, I helped out once every fortnight for a year. During this time, I learned the basic aspects of building and safe working practices. Once the year was finished, I was offered an apprenticeship with the company.

During my time at New World Greymouth I worked as a produce assistant, this role involved:

• Food quality control
• Customer service
• Restocking and rotating old and new produce
• Training new employees
• Routine cleaning and temperature checks
• Cutting and preparing vegetable and fruit packs
• Organising and restocking food displays

During my time at Birchfield Coal Mines, I had a large range of jobs, which included:

• Weed spraying
• Coal bagging
• Kindling wood bagging
• Forklift driving
• Dismantling cleaning and packing railway sleepers to be trucked and sold
• Operating a log splitter
• Customers service