Alex Oakley jokes that he stepped over to the ‘dark side’ when he joined Brian Perry Civil as a senior site engineer.

Now rolling up his sleeves to get into site-based work, the role stands in contrast to his former, more office-based role.

“It was a change I wanted to make and I haven’t looked back,” Alex says.

With structures and concrete foundations now his more specialized area of engineering, Alex has been based in Taupō for the last year working on the Laminex project, but has recently moved to a project closer to home at Z Energy in Mount Maunganui.

“It’s different working on the more technical side of things, but the core project elements remain the same and it’s satisfying getting stuck-in and seeing the finished result.

“I’ve received a lot of support from project supervisors and foremen on the jobs – the older heads who have vast experience, which has made the transition a smooth one.”

Alex has ambitions to explore project management up ahead in his career.

“There’s tremendous support and opportunity to progress your career with BPC.  There are so many pathways you can go down. I’ve seen carpenters progress to leading hand, foreman and site supervisor roles. We have a good management team and strong culture with people who want to see you promoted and further your career.”