Some partnerships are about business. Others are about building something bigger than ourselves. For WT, our ongoing partnership with the keystone trust sits firmly in the second category.
For more than 30 years, Keystone Trust has been helping talented young people into the property and construction industry through scholarships, mentoring, industry connections and real-world opportunities. Their mission is simple but powerful: open doors for people who may not otherwise have access to them and help shape the future leaders of our industry.
That’s exactly why this partnership matters to us.
As a professional services business, we know our industry is built on people. The future strength of construction won’t just come from projects or technology; it will come from the next generation of smart, capable, driven individuals choosing to build careers in this sector.
And this year, we’re incredibly proud to support one of those future leaders.
Jieming is currently studying a Bachelor of Construction at Unitec while also working with us as a Junior Quantity Surveyor in our Commercial team. What stands out immediately about Jieming isn’t just her academic capability – although with a GPA of 7.5 and strong first-year results including multiple A grades, she is clearly excelling.
Every morning, before lectures, work, assignments and family commitments begin, Jieming creates a detailed plan for the day ahead. Time blocks. Priorities. Goals. Structure. It’s how she keeps everything moving while balancing study, work and raising two young children.
And honestly? That mindset feels very familiar to construction. “The construction field is all about good management, scheduling and planning of tasks,” Jieming says. “I believe this strength is highly relevant and valuable in the field.”
Before construction, Jieming trained as a chef at SkyCity Auckland before later specialising in pâtisserie. It was a career built around precision, discipline and high standards, skills that now translate naturally into quantity surveying. But as her family grew, so did her thinking around long-term career pathways.
“Once the children started primary school, I started thinking seriously about a new career that I can stay with for a very long time and develop my skills,” she explains.
Construction became that pathway.
Not just because of the opportunities within the industry, but because of the professionalism, technical depth and constant learning it demands.
It’s a story that resonates strongly with us at WT.
Because this is exactly what Keystone Trust is designed to do – not simply provide financial support but create pathways. And importantly, pathways for people who bring different experiences, perspectives and strengths into the sector.
WT first joined Keystone Trust as a sponsorship partner in 2023, supporting the Trust’s work to create meaningful opportunities for students pursuing careers in property and construction.
For Katie Mitch (People & Culture Lead), WT’s support of Keystone is about helping shape a more inclusive and representative future for the industry.
“Construction is evolving, and that’s a really positive thing. We need more diversity of thought, experience and leadership coming through the industry, and that absolutely includes supporting more women into long-term careers in construction. Seeing talented people like Jieming step into the industry and realise they belong here is incredibly special to be part of.”
And perhaps the best part of this story is that our support of Jieming doesn’t stop at scholarship funding. We’re also lucky enough to have her as part of the WT team. It turns sponsorship into something tangible. It helps bridge the gap between tertiary education and a long-term career.
Keystone Trust calls this their “wrap-around support” model – combining financial assistance with mentoring, networking opportunities, industry exposure and employment pathways. And from what Jieming says, it’s already making a meaningful impact. There’s something quietly powerful about people like Jieming entering our industry. Not because they followed a traditional pathway.
But because they didn’t.
Because they bring resilience. Perspective. Work ethic. Life experience. Determination. The kind of qualities you can’t always teach.
At WT, our partnership with Keystone Trust is about more than sponsorship logos or annual commitments. It’s about investing in people and helping shape a stronger, smarter and more inclusive future for our industry.
Because backing potential early can change the trajectory of someone’s career.
And sometimes, the future of an industry starts with a single opportunity.
Photo courtesy of Keystone Trust