The BCITO tells many stories across all media channels about young people who become champion apprentices — those who are high achievers in their trade, people who’ve struggled and through industry training have come out on top or now have a better lifestyle because they joined the construction industry.
But the stories they haven’t shared regularly are those of the employers of these young people who, without their boss’ dedication and best work practices, would never have been given the opportunities and support they have enjoyed.
At a gala event held in Wellington on Tuesday, November 7, the BCITO launched a new marketing campaign to promote “good bosses” across all 15 BCITO trade sectors.
My Boss: Legend will inspire employers to improve their workplace practices and behaviours to be like the legends they see and read about through this campaign.
The campaign goals are:
• to help reduce apprentice churn in the first 18 months of training by encouraging employers who train to lift their game,
• inspire behavioural change to improve workforce development, and
• give apprentices the opportunity to single out their boss as a legend within the industry and to thank them.
Do you remember someone who has inspired you? Whether it be a teacher at school, your first boss, or just someone you know in your community who has mentored and supported you — we’re sure you can all think of someone. These are the types of stories the BCITO is going to tell.
The first phase of the campaign is the launch of a new micro web site at mybosslegend.nz.
Some employers aren’t just great — they’re legendary. So the BCITO went out and asked apprentices a simple question — “Why is your boss a legend?”
They’re sharing these apprentices’ stories in 15 short films that have been commissioned.
“We hope that other employers watching will be inspired to think about and focus more on workplace culture and training within their businesses,” BCITO chief executive Warwick Quinn says.
“These 15 stories are just the beginning — at mybosslegend.nz apprentices and employees can share their own stories with us about their legendary bosses, and we’ll craft those into inspiring tales of the real legends who help support our trainees every day on the job, and share them with the wider industry.
“We believe that if employers can have better relationships with their workers by improving their workplaces, then we may be able to curtail the number of apprentices leaving their apprenticeship because, for example, they don’t get on with their boss — and we hope this will also make for better work environments,” Mr Quinn says.
By creating a better working environment, including better working relationships between employers and apprentices, the BCITO hopes some early withdrawals can be avoided.
Each film is unique, but they all share the same theme — what it means to be a good employer and, ultimately, a legendary one.
There are some great stories out there, and sharing these stories with the rest of the industry not only singles out and thanks those employers, but will also help showcase the nature of the people in the industry who make it what it is today.
People are the most important part of every business. This campaign shines a light on what employers within the industry can do to make their workplaces a better place to work and grow apprentices and future industry leaders.
More tactics are planned for this ongoing campaign in 2018 and beyond. The BCITO will be sharing case studies and other side-stories in print, online, through social media channels, and in its own publications, as well as in trade-specific and industry association magazines and newsletters.
Go to mybosslegend.nz to view just some of the real legends in the construction industry.
