Hamilton City Council learning and training development coordinator, Tessa Sayliss says helping colleagues reach their full potential fuels her passion for workplace training.
Ms Sayliss (pictured, left) was recently presented with a training commitment award at the Building Officials Institute of New Zealand (BOINZ).
“From the little things, like being able to navigate an Excel spreadsheet, to completing a formal diploma, being part of someone’s growth journey is so rewarding,” she says.
The BOINZ award recognised her passion and commitment to ensuring Council’s Building Unit team members – including administration staff and contractors – get the training they need to succeed in their roles.
Ms Sayliss joined Council in 2019 but has worked in learning and development roles for the past 15 years.
Among her training tools has been monthly Technical Toolbox sessions, where external groups are invited to talk to Building Unit staff on topical issues, and monthly Power Hour sessions presented by internal subject experts.
“Our Power Hour sessions was our way of identifying talent within our unit, creating a list of subject matter experts and growing their confidence to be able to share their knowledge and expertise with others,” Ms Sayliss said.
“I’m fortunate to work in an amazing unit and have an awesome manager, Cory Lang. Cory is a genuine believer in growing people and setting pathways for them.”
The Building Unit was also awarded for Outstanding Commitment to Information, Skills Development and Education of Building Officials at the BOINZ awards.
Praised for its “extraordinary commitment” to helping others in the sector, the Building Unit worked with BOINZ to update and test learning programmes for the benefit of other councils and the wider industry.
“In an environment where everyone expects someone else to do the mahi, this BCA [building consent authority] stepped up. They participated selflessly and delivered an incredibly high level of expertise,” BOINZ said in a statement.
