WelTtec Wins Region's Top Defence Employer Award

Media Release 15 April

WelTtec Wins Region's Top Defence Employer Award

The Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec) is the recipient of this year's overall Wellington Regional Defence Employer Award.

WelTec has had a long association with the Wellington Navy and Army Reserves, and the Award recognises the valuable ongoing support such employers give the Reserves in making Employees available for Territorial Force Army and Reserve Navy duties.

Grant Crowley, Deputy Chair of the Wellington Regional Defence Employer Support Committee, who presented the Awards, said: "The Awards are a fitting acknowledgement of our appreciation of the contribution employers make to the Defence Force Reserves which this year included making their staff available at short notice to support the Defence Force's Christchurch earthquake relief operation."

WelTec won this year's Award for supporting HMNZS OLPHERTS's Able Seaman Barry Dulieu to undertake an extended posting on HMNZS ROTOITI, one of the Navy's new Protector Fleet Inshore Patrol Vessels.

The Award was presented to Alan Peck, Executive Dean of Weltec's Faculty of Trades & Technology at a function in Wellington hosted by Wellington Naval Reserves Division HMNZS OLPHERT, in conjunction with BRAVO COMPANY of 7 Wellington and Hawke's Bay Battalion Group.

Local organisations who were highly commended included Alsco, Kordia, the Maritime Operations Centre, and Evans Bay Intermediate School, who all have staff members serving as Territorial Soldiers with BRAVO COMPANY of the 7 Wellington and Hawke's Bay Battalion Group, .

Grant Crowley said, "These functions provide a great opportunity to show employers some of the training activities undertaken by Army and Navy Reserve personnel, including the Weapons Handling and Damage Control Breathing Apparatus (DCBA) demonstrations given."

Both Grant Crowley and LTCDR Gerad Chaplin, the Commanding Officer of HMNZS OLPHERT, commended employers who released their staff to undertake military duties.

Gerard Chaplin said, "Employers with whom we have an ongoing association, tell us how much they value the leadership and other skills their employees bring to their civilian jobs, they have learnt from their military training and experience."

ENDS

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