Business View Oceania | Volume 3, Issue 6

21 22 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 3, ISSUE 6 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 3, ISSUE 6 stationery, power and hireage of equipment. We have recently conducted surveys of what the kiwi sign shop looks like today and how it will look in the future and also a salary guide for our members for roles within signage. All these reports are very valuable to our members and suppliers. “Our conferences and Awards events are held every year in a regional town in either the North or South Island. Our Expo is held every second year in Auckland of which our conference and Awards events run alongside at the same time. We communicate out to our members constantly via a monthly e-news publication and on our social pages, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, weekly or fortnightly. We also offer training through our newly created brand Signee. Signee Industry is for those entering into sign making, or upskilling. There are also Sign Making Apprenticeships on offer, however you need to be employed in a sign shop to complete this training as it is in-work training.” BVO: What are the main priorities of the Association? Lowe: “By far our members’ main concern for the future is around training and lack of skilled labour in our industry. At present the NZSDA priorities are working with the government review of vocational training ‘ROVE’ initiative to get our apprenticeship training back online with more industry input and feedback. We are also working to promote our Signee Pre-Vocational training scheme out to schools, careers advisors and other training organisations. “Environmental concerns from within our industry are growing rapidly. So, we are also working with our trade suppliers to develop a materials sustainability program to improve as much as possible our industry’s dependency on non-sustainable materials, which in an industry that makes products that in the majority are designed to last outdoors for long as possible, is as a source of information and assistance to its members along with promotion of the industry to the public. With technology, legislation, regulation and environmental issues only increasing more each year, the role the NZSDA plays assisting our members in these areas along with organising industry events such as our National Sign Awards, annual NZSDA conference, training initiatives and networking access will assist to keep us relevant within our industry.” NEW ZEALAND S IGN & DI SPLAY ASSOC I AT ION INC . no easy task.” BVO: Where do you foresee the industry in five years and how will the NZSDA continue to be a viable voice for members? Lowe: “Our industry is in general very busy, the demand for skilled labour shows this. Research indicates our members are diversifying their services into graphic design and printing, amongst others. The future outlook is generally positive with many looking at investing in more and diverse equipment and staff. While COVID may change the way we work, it won’t hold back this industry for long. “Adaptation and flexibility are strong business attributes which the NZSDA promote and assist its members with. The NZSDA role will remain