Number 1: The first person to become Civil Trades certified still leads by example

26 Nov 2025

It’s been a decade since Matt Paget become the first person in New Zealand to gain Civil Trades certification. Yet the Tauranga man still treasures his original certification card – number 0001 – as validation of his experience and years of hard work in civil infrastructure.

“Civil Trades certification is to certify all the hard work you've done, isn't it? It's to really cement that all those long hours and the time in the trenches have paid off and you've got something that's recognised,” he says.

The now Managing Director of MATCO Civil Contractors in Tauranga says that for himself and the more than 1,000 others who have become Certified Civil Tradespeople since, it provides evidence of proficiency, supports career progression, and gives a sense of pride.

“You look back and go ‘you know what, I’ve done a hard graft – I need to be recognised as knowing a bit of stuff.’”

Matt’s journey to gaining certification card 0001 began when he started progressing through the civil construction ranks operating excavators and graders 32 years ago, and became part of the original pilot scheme alongside other machine operators and foremen.

He says when the rationale behind getting certified was explained to him it made perfect sense.

“Dave Connell from Connell Contracting said a plumber doing $40,000 worth of work on your house has to be registered or trade certified. You're going out and building $40 million worth of highway and there's no qualification.”

Matt says maintaining his certification over the years has been a no-brainer and it has proven valuable not just personally, but professionally. As a business owner competing for contracts against larger tier-one companies, he says Civil Trades certification carries weight.

“Clients do look at those letters behind my name as having some sort of pull. With owning your own business too, it helps towards recognition for tender awards and amongst your peers.”

The positive impact of certification extends beyond himself to his 11-year-old son Jackson, who is very hands-on and looks up to what he has achieved.

Matt says he enjoys pointing out past projects to Jackson and his daughter Rubie, sharing the satisfaction he gets out of building important infrastructure that stands the test of time.

“You drive around and look at stuff and feel pretty proud. I think anybody's the same if they've got pride in what they do and they really love the projects they’ve been part of.

“We're building a low-cost housing subdivision and you know that all that graft that you've done is going to pave its way for some people to walk along a footpath that you've poured or drive on the road that you've built.

“You feel like you've achieved something and you feel like you've really contributed in a pretty cool way. So I guess that's what I love, shaping stuff and changing stuff.”

For Matt, the growth of the Civil Trades programme since its launch in 2015 is a big step forward. It demonstrates an industry that takes itself and its vital role in building critical infrastructure seriously, honouring the skilled tradespeople who make it all happen.

“It gives you a little bit more confidence. You can sit there and say I actually know my stuff when it comes to building this and people recognise it.”

As a pioneer of the Civil Trades programme, who has regularly recertified in the years since, Matt continues to demonstrate that Civil Trades matters – not just for the individual career progression he has enjoyed, but also to elevate the entire civil construction industry.

“You get some bumps and bruises along the way, but certainly when you sit back and you look at some of the things that you've accomplished, like the trade certification, you can be pretty proud of that.”

Matt Paget (right) with Ministers Hon. Steven Joyce and Hon. Louise Upston at the Parliamentary event in 2015 celebrating the first certifications under the Civil Trades scheme.

Beach to boardroom: meet the people behind Civil Trades

The careers of Mike Wilson and Phil Bull are testament to the difference a commitment to training and development can make, having worked in more than 10 countries and across most facets of the industry. Now they are giving back to the civil construction industry through the national Civil Trades certification programme, alongside a dedicated team.